The Chaos Wars, part I
by Subieko
Summary: An evil being known as the Overlord wants Yuugi dead. He and his friends are drawn into a war that spans all of the Multiverse as they search for a legendary artifact.
1. A New Beginning

Background Information

This fanfic takes place in the Multiverse, so it doesn't really belong in any one category. It would make more sense to say that it belongs in _all_ categories (the main characters are mostly from Yu-Gi-Oh, though). A World (a.k.a. one universe) can be based on anything, whether it be made up out of your own head or based on a game/show/book/etc. The Multiverse is a series of Worlds (billions of them) connected by a single central reality. If you have any ideas about new Worlds I could use or places/people you want to see, tell me! Also, know that this is not the beginning of the Chaos Wars, not by a long shot. The rest is unrecorded, (it's very unstructured, I'm afraid) but past events may be alluded to. Any questions or comments are welcome. Thanks, and enjoy my fanfic!

Preface

It could be said that the Chaos War began with the Overlord. Uncountable years ago, the great Star Warriors arose and banished him to the Wilds. This was their last mistake. The Wilds are a vast reserve of chaotic energy, and the Overlord grew strong once more, fed by his hatred for life, trust, friendship, and all positive emotions. It was he who, in his anger, ripped the beautiful World of Akarana in two, giving it the appropriate name Dark World. He was imprisoned for millennia, but his soldiers were not. A subtle reign of terror began throughout the Multiverse, in preparation for their Lord's return. He could not escape his dark prison until he obtained the lost Chaos Seal, used to lock him away.

He was delayed for a time by a weak, pathetic group of freedom fighters, unworthy of the Overlord's notice. It was these weaklings, however, who delayed his return, under the leadership of a human, fondly named "Densetsu" by his army. He and his wife, called Teshiru by the same group, fought for all peoples, sacrificing everything they had, even their very lives...

The army was betrayed, and they fell. Only two members survived. One was the traitor. One was the betrayed. This one denied the past, trying to forget everything that he considered his fault, forgetting even his oath to protect his leader's son--Yuugi. The Overlord would have been at last victorious, if not for a lot of lucky chances, as they say on Sol. Because Yuugi Mutou met Benjamin, a child who knew neither his name nor his parents, and when Benjamin was dying (he survived), Yuugi and his friends were pulled into Dark World by their connection to him. There they met Vicetor, called Vice by his friends (currently all dead), who remembered his oath, and taught them to fight. He taught them to be Summoners, and together they fought the Shadow Master, who was the former Chaos Lieutenant. A lot of lucky chances, if indeed it was mere luck.

The Shadow Master was defeated, but Vice was grievously injured in the final battle. Knowing that the Overlord would begin actively hunting Yuugi now that he had learned of other Worlds, he sent Yuugi and his friends in search of the Chaos Seal, in an attempt to prevent the Overlord from finding it. They failed. Their Gate signature was detected, and the Overlord's forces captured Yuugi and his friends. His friends escaped. He did not. Yuugi was possessed by the Chaos Seer, a powerful and sadistic possessor-type demon. While he was captured, Yuugi's yami--the dark spirit that lived inside his Millennium Puzzle--betrayed him and his friends. Later, they were all rescued by Vice. After this, the mistrusted traitor was separated from the others and was also rescued by Vice. Finally, the war was over, and they could return home. Life would go back to normal now. Or so they thought...

Chapter 1--A New Beginning

It is late, close to ten o'clock. A small, pale child stands in the park by a pool of water that is lovingly referred to as a lake. The child is gaunt and malnourished, his raven-black hair hanging down over his shadowed gray eyes, set in a too thin face. It is impossible to guess his age at a glance; he believes himself to be close fourteen. It's hard to say just what he is; his clothes are too thin and worn to be those of a normal, but his face is too noble and proud to be that of a beggar. He is too honorable to be a thief, but he is too desperate not to steal. He has no home. He cannot remember his parents, any more than his last name. He believes himself to have none, as impossible as it is. He looks like an ordinary street rat, until you look into his eyes. They are deep and strange, filled with a sorrow that cannot be measured in words. He might have been lonely, if he had not always been alone. He is a fierce warrior, ready to fight for justice, but he is also a survivalist. This is not his home, nor even close to his home. These are not his people; he belongs nowhere.

This is Benjamin. He is the Guardian of Dark World, but he has been mistaken for many things in his life. He has been mistaken for a Digidestined, a Pokemon trainer, a Duelist, and even a human. He is none of these things entirely, and some of them partly. He is bonded to a Digimon named Bikaymon, or rather a Dark Digimon, one of the hybrids, but he is not a Digidestined. He has two Pokemon, among other creatures, but he is not a Pokemon trainer. Why he was ever mistaken for a Duelist is unfathomable; there is no connection. As for the last...he is not human, but at the same time, he is not _not_ human. He is a hybrid; genetically, he is half human, half Darkling. Physically, he is easily mistaken for a small, starving human child. It would be easy to pity him, if not for his eyes, and for his often frightening mannerisms.

He waits now for one of his Pokemon allies, Taru. He is hungry, so he has gone fishing. This is probably hiss first meal in several days; Benjamin and his creatures are always hungry. They have grown used to near-starvation. They have grown used to pain.

Just behind Benjamin stands another child. At first glance, they are opposites; this child, although as small as Benjamin, has never been starving or homeless. His clothes fit him, and they are neither worn nor old. He has always known his last name, and he knows who his parents were, although they are dead. He has almost never been mistaken for anything other than what he is, although that in itself is hard to define. He is no warrior, although he is always ready to stand up for the truth. His wide, violet eyes are neither sorrowful nor angry, but rather very innocent, looking out from beneath his blond bangs, in contrast to his otherwise red and black hair, growing straight up. He is perfectly human. This is his home, and he is Benjamin's friend. Benjamin does not understand why any would choose to be his friend, although his loyalty to others could be considered friendship. He was raised in a World full of hatred. He is here to protect the child standing next to him, whom he thinks of as a friend.

This child is Yuugi Mutou. His age, like Benjamin's, is hard to guess because of his size. He too is close to fourteen, although he is probably younger than Benjamin. He is standing here now to wait for Benjamin. He does not question Benjamin's actions; he knows where Benjamin came from. He has been to Dark World.

The people of Dark World live in extreme poverty. There are few organized towns; those that exist are tiny, and full of racial tension. Tribal living is the most common group. Children live in packs inside abandoned buildings in the two surviving cities. They are hunted by the older gangs, mercenary groups who murder just to get a mouthful of food. Many people are nomads. Dark World was once a beautiful place, a place of riches and wisdom. It was destroyed by the Overlord.

The Overlord hates Dark World. He hates everyone and everything that contains even a spark of joy or friendship or trust. No one knows the reason for his hatred. Perhaps it is because he cannot experience these things himself. Who would trust such a creature, who trusts no one but himself? Who could ever be his friend, the friendless one? The Overlord is a strange being, and very old. What he is, no one can say, not even he himself. He hates Benjamin and he hates Bikaymon and Taru and all the rest, but most of all, he hates Yuugi. Even Vice is not completely certain why this is so; perhaps it is because Yuugi is so full of the quality that the Overlord can never have. It is called trust, charisma, friendship...it is the entity that the Overlord cannot abide. Yuugi is always in danger, although he does not fully understand this. He would most likely be dead now if it were not for Vice, his other Darkling friend. He is not here now; in fact, he is at this moment captured by the Overlord himself. He cannot help anyone now. This is up to Benjamin. He does not know that he too is in danger. They are both perilously close to doom. For now, however, Yuugi is only worried that some warden will find them trespassing in the park so late at night. In his World it is illegal. In Benjamin's World, laws do not exist.

They are very different, these two, and yet so very much alike. Both of them are caught up in a struggle they do not fully understand, for reasons they cannot control. Both of them are hated and feared by great and terrible beings. They will go back to Yuugi's home soon; Taru is already returning. Benjamin arrived in this World at the beginning of the Cybernetics War, which neither he nor Yuugi fought in. If he had suspected even for a moment that his World would be in danger, he would never have left it, but he did not realize that the Five Tyrants might be interested in Dark World. The War is almost over in any case; the final battle will be fought in the Pokemon World. Then they will be at peace, for a time. The Overlord is not interested in the Pokemon World yet. He is about to attack Benjamin and Yuugi. Benjamin has been staying with Yuugi and his Grandfather for about two months. He has posed as an exchange student. This required a lot of forgery, but luckily, they were not caught. Neither of them realizes that the Chaos War is about to begin again in earnest. Neither suspects that the Chaos Oracle has arrived.

It was late when they attacked. The troops stormed in, under not only the Oracle but also the feared Chaos Lieutenant, Gash. Their mission was to find and capture Yuugi Mutou, and their secondary target was Benjamin. The Overlord knew Yuugi's World, but was unable to find his exact location within it; he was, however, able to trace Benjamin.

Yuugi immediately called his friends, all Summon-capable Duelists, for help. Their names were Joey Wheeler, Tea Gardner, Seto Kaiba, and Tristan Taylor. The results of the battle were surprising. All of them were captured, and Yuugi and Benjamin remained to rescue them. As they Gated out, however, Chaos attacked again. Benjamin was thrown into the Pokemon World, and Yuugi was sent to the Clanner World. This is where the battle now stands. Yuugi is on his own. Vice has been captured, Benjamin is injured, and no one else knows of his dreadful plight...or do they? Matt is on his way, and he may yet save them all.


	2. Among the Clanners

Author's Note: Yes, I do know how to spell. If you see any unusually spelled words, such as "Clanner" or "Chieftenn," it's not a misspelling. It's a Clanner tradition. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 2--Among the Clanners  
  
  
Yuugi woke up slowly. He remembered Benjamin yelling that they had to run for it. He had pulled out the Gater, and...something had gone wrong, that was certain. He and Benjamin had been thrown apart, and now he was lost. He checked his pockets, looking for his Gating Device, but groaned as he realized it was still back in his World--they had used Benjamin's. Not only was he lost, he was stuck here--wherever here was. It seemed dark and cold.  
  
He had landed in a snowbank. Yuugi stood up carefully, immediatly sinking into knee-deep snow. The night closed in menacingly. In the distance, he could see faint light. As he walked toward it, he heard the sounds of people working. Finally, he reached what looked like a small town. The inhabitants stood in the snow, trying to dig themselves out. Suddenly, one of them turned toward him.  
  
"Hey, you! You, stranger! What are you doing here, and where did you come from? Speak up, kid!"  
  
Yuugi looked at the man. He was of average height--if it was average for these people--and seemed to be about forty. He appeared human, but appearances can be deceiving. After a lengthy pause, Yuugi spoke. "My name is Yuugi. I'm not from around here. I'm...lost."  
  
The man looked at him shrewdly. "Well, well...a foreigner...we don't get too many of them, now do we...let me see...well...you look harmless enough. Here; you can help that shovel crew over there. We have to dig ourselves out, we do. It's them damn Clanners fault. And people say they're all dead...yes, they do say, that they do...that they do..." He wandered off, muttering to himself.  
  
Yuugi looked around. These people were obviously not used to this heavy snow. Something very strange was happening...but what? He walked slowly toward the indicated "crew," better described as a disorganized group of boys shoveling snow. They worked for a long time before the foreman whistled sharply.  
  
"Rotation!"  
  
The various groups of people working in and around the small cluster of buildings, fondly referred to as a town, went home. Another group took their place. The digging would go on all night, and into the next day. Longer, if it snowed again.  
  
"Damn Clanners," the foreman muttered.

Yuugi trailed after the group he had assisted. After careful study, Yuugi concluded that they were all human, although more primitive humans than those in his own World. Those he was following seemed to be isolated from the rest of the villagers. Their eyes darted about, suspicious of every move people made. They wandered with deliberately casual movements into a small lean-to erected at the corner of the other huts. Even the buildings seemed looming and unfriendly here. Yuugi began to realize that all the people lived in a perpetual state of vague, uncertain fear. Except for this small group. Yuugi continued to follow them carefully. Somehow, he sensed that they were different than the others.Standing by a small, paltry fire was an aging woman with a heavy veil over her face. "Back again, Madak-chan? Still shoveling for them Kar- deks? Ai, I don't know why you do it."  
  
One of the boys (they looked about fifteen or so) sighed, brushing dark brown hair out of his sharp eyes. "Ma, you mustn't speak like that. They will know, if they hear you. They will know. You cannot call me Madak anymore. You must speak their tongue. We will be able to leave soon enough."  
  
She shook her head. "My son, my son, you have a new friend. Ai, don't just stand their, Madak my son! Say something why don't you! Ai- cha, you are so slow today!"  
  
The boy identified as Madak spun around. Instantly, a knife gleamed at Yuugi's throat. "Who are you? Why did you follow us?"  
  
Yuugi swallowed. "My name is Yuugi. I'm a stranger here. I come from far away. I didn't follow you; I just...I just..."  
  
The woman laughed. "Ai-cha, you are so suspicious these days! Times are not so dark that you cannot see the difference between a spy and an outsider, Madak?"  
  
The boy shrugged in embarrassment. "Ma, how many times do I have to tell you? We must be careful. We are not safe here. This one, we don't know who he is. He was in the town. How can we be sure?"  
One of the other boys stirred. "I say we slit his throat now. Can't be too careful."  
  
The woman whacked him with her hand, then resumed stirring a large, sinister-looking pot. Remembering the strange methods of the Dark Worlders in finding food when starving, Yuugi decided he didn't want to know what was inside.  
  
The woman spoke again. "And what say you, eh, Kala? No thoughts today, hmm?" The last child stared at the ground, his blue eyes empty in his expressionless face. He seemed to hear and see nothing at all. Presently, the woman spoke again. "Ai, we must forgive poor Kala. He has seen much that no eye should look upon. But come, you others, why be so afraid? If he was going to spy on us, he would have a better excuse, at the least. You think I don't know? You think me a foolish old woman? Ai- cha! I am still your mother. You listen to me, eh?"  
  
At last, Madak lowered his dagger. "I suppose you might be right. But, Ma, I keep telling you! You mustn't speak like that! They're looking harder these days..."  
  
Yuugi had no idea what they were talking about. The only difference in speech he could detect between the woman and the rest of the town was her accent. Her words seemed more rhythmic than ordinary English. After an awkward silence, in which Madak's mother stared accusingly at her son, the other boy spoke. "We have to eat fast. We'll be back on duty again in just a few hours."  
  
Tentatively, Yuugi asked, "Why is there so much snow? I mean, the weather isn't normally like this, is it?"  
  
Madak stared at him. "You really are a foreigner, aren't you? We haven't had weather like this since the Fell Winter, and that was centuries ago. You never learned about that?"  
  
The question seemed almost like a test. Yuugi wasn't sure what the right answer was, so he was left with nothing to tell but the truth. "...no..."  
  
Madak looked at him suspiciously. "Never? Well, that's why the foreman's so on about the Clanners. People say it was their fault, you know. The story goes like this: about four centuries ago, the Clanners came to this World seeking shelter from something. Just a few months after their arrival, the weather turned bad, just like this....they say that the ice giants attacked, and the townspeople fought them off with fire. In the end, it was discovered that the Clanners were at fault, so they were all killed. That's why there aren't any Clanners today."  
  
The boy seemed almost saddened by his own words. Yuugi sighed. He had thought that this might be the Clanner World, and that he might be able to get help from them.  
  
The woman looked up sharply. "Why you sigh, little boy? We all supposed to be glad that the Clanners are gone."  
  
Yuugi looked up. "Why?" This time, they all stared at him.  
  
After an even longer and more awkward silence, Madak spoke. "Where was it you said you were from?"  
  
Yuugi knew that, no matter what, he must not tell these people that he came from another World, especially if they were against the Clanners. "I'm from...from...far away...."  
  
Madak seemed about to speak, but the foreman's whistle rang out once more. Saved from facing the suspicious Madak by a duty rotation.Once again, the villagers shoveled. Their homes were literally buried in snow. As Yuugi worked, Madak's blond-haired friend--or possibly brother?--came over to him.  
  
"We haven't had a winter this bad since the days of the Clanners, eh?" "I...guess so..." The boy smiled, but his eyes were hard. "You really aren't from around here, are you? Where exactly do you come from? It can't be anywhere within a hundred miles of here, there aren't any villages that don't know that story. You don't want to tell me, do you? Ai, well, we all have something to hide. Just don't my brother Madak I said that."  
  
So, they were related...that could explain why they were separate from the others. Somehow, their speech patterns reminded him of someone, but who? If only he could remember! After another two hours, the foreman whistled once more. Yuugi then made the great mistake of attempting to discern the time by checking his watch, which, as he discovered, he wasn't wearing anyway. Instead, Madak's brother saw the tiny star Vice had drawn on his wrist months ago. He cursed softly and grabbed Yuugi's wrist, whispering, "Come with me!" Yuugi was rapidly dragged back to the boy's mother._ Now I'm in trouble_, he thought. _They hate the Clanners--and the Star mark has something to do with them!___   
  
"Ma, look! Look! See--what did I tell you--didn't I say--"  
  
The woman promptly whacked him on the head. "Ai-cha, Darak, you talk too fast! Tell me plainly, now, why all this excitement? You sound like you have an arak-nai after you."  
  
"Ma, be serious! Look!" Then, to Yuugi, "Show her your wrist." Knowing that this was quite possibly the worst situation he could possibly be in, he did. After all, what choice did he have? Darak already knew. No other choice...  
  
Darak's mother sat down. "Ai-cha! That I should live to see the day. Darak-chan, go get your brother. You hurry now, no time to lose, eh? Daka-shan!" Then, she turned to Yuugi. "Why you no tell us, eh? Some kind of secret, yes, sure enough, but we, we are Clanners! Safe to speak to us, eh? Why you no tell us? Ai, that I should live to see the day."  
  
Yuugi did not understand. "Why is this so important to you? And I thought that your people hated the Clanners. Why should you be happy that I have a Star mark on my wrist?"  
  
The woman smiled. "Ai, you not see. You have never met Clanners before, this is certain. All my life, I have waited, just as my mother waited and her mother before her, and hers before her, as far back as we Clanners go. All my life, I have waited without hope. You have brought us hope. We are Clanners, little child. We lie and deceive because the truth will kill us. We were caught here by the snow on our way home. Here, I tell you a story. A true story, now. You listen, eh?  
A long time ago, back when the Clanners first came to this World out of Dark World, the people welcomed us. Then, the Fell Winter came. They will tell you that we betrayed them. That is not so. We saved the people, we Clanners. We used our magic--you know about magic, I hope--to drive back the beasts of malice and cold. The people, they were afraid then, because they had failed to drive back the monsters with their weapons and their fire, that they are so proud of. So they blamed us, and they hated us. They killed many, but some escaped. We hide, and cover our wrists and our faces, but we do not forget. Ai, child, you think I wear a veil over my face because I like it!? I would not, if I could go without and still live. Look."  
  
She carefully lifted the heavy fabric covering her face. Yuugi saw that, underneath, she had symbols and designs painted all over her skin--on her right cheek was a feather pattern, and on her forehead was what looked like a rising sun symbol.  
  
"So you see. It is Clanner tradition. You see how my sons, they wrap their wrists in cloth, paint over their faces with dyes? You think they want to? They hide their marks, as you should have done. Ai, but it is better so. Now we know. You must come with us to our people. I am of the Clann of the Spirit of the Falcon--the Highwind Clann. You see? You bear the mark of the great warriors, the protectors of all people who suffer and are oppressed. They are not all gone, then. There are still those who protect the people...child, who is it that gives you this mark? He is one of a great people, eh? Or she. Not to forget, that the warriors were all species, all ages. All everything."  
  
Yuugi thought. He had always suspected that Vicetor, called Vice for short, was more than he appeared, and he had never fully explained why he had given Yuugi the Star Mark. True, he was very powerful, but he was not a member of any race or people. He himself had said that his people were gone. He was the last. The Last of Ancients...  
  
The woman spoke again. "Okay, so you not want to tell me your friend's name. That's all right. I know all about True Names. But, just tell me this: male or female?"  
Yuugi, shaken out of his reverie, said, "Male."  
  
The women nodded and smiled. "At last, a true Star Warrior has returned to the Clanners."  
  
Yuugi frowned. "You don't understand--he's not a Clanner. Vice is--" Yuugi hit himself in the head.  
  
The woman smiled again. "Ai-cha, you cannot keep a secret, little boy. But it is all right. I not tell anyone your friend's name. Here, you see? You trust me, I trust you. I tell you my True Name. I am Kai- ana. But, don't go around calling me that! True Names are a secret; I am surprised you are so free with yours. You not a Clanner, are you? You come from some far-off place, where True Names are not secret. A place of great peace, I suppose, for such trust to be. Tell me, where you come from? Your friend, he from there too?"  
  
Yuugi shook his head. "I come from...from...well, I don't really know what other people would call my World. But my friend, he's from Dark World. He's not a Clanner."  
  
Kai-ana gasped. "Ai, ai, one of them Kar-dek Darkies! Ai-cha, what a twist of fate in such times as these! So, it is not a Clanner but a Darky who saves us in the end..."  
  
Yuugi was surprised. "But Benjamin told me that it was the Clanners who betrayed the Darklings--not the other way around!"  
  
Kai-ana smiled. "You hear many stories, these days. The fact is, who knows what's true? Don't tell this to my sons, but...I don't know if it was either of us who betrayed the other. Who can remember now what happened at the Battle of Losarnarch? I was not there, you were not there, nobody was. But this, I do know: Clanners and Darklings have hated each other ever since that time. Ah, here comes Darak, with his brother, too. Now, we go to my people, the Highwind Clann. You be polite to our Chieftenn, eh? See that you are, now!"Thus began the long trip into the mountains to the dwellings of the Highwind Clann. Yuugi had found the Clanners, but what had happened to Benjamin? 


	3. Of Broken Windows and Long Journeys

Chapter 3--Of Broken Windows and Long Journeys

  
  
The last thing that he could remember was shouting, "There are too many of them! We must run!" They had Gated out, and...pain. Broken glass. Now where was he? Benjamin had little time to wonder; his injuries were substantial, and he soon collapsed from loss of blood. In fact, he was very lucky. He had managed to land in Matt's Lab, in the Pokemon World. Matt himself had just left on a journey, but Cat and Mark would care for Benjamin until he regained consciousness. -o-o-o-o-o- Matt, meanwhile, had just been thrown off course. One moment, he was calmly Gating toward the great libraries of Oceania, the next...he hit the floor--hard. He had no idea where he was.  
  
"Mereow!" A mangy cat had just leapt onto his head and begun to scratch him. Matt groaned and tried to sit up.  
  
Suddenly, a voice spoke. "Alleybones, stop that!" Someone removed the cat. Matt looked up. An old man with spiky gray hair protruding from underneath a hat and strange purple eyes stood over him. "Are you all right? How did you get in here?"  
  
This was Yuugi's grandfather. He knew of other Worlds, but he was somewhat in denial. He suspected that Matt was another of the strange people who continued to arrive in his game shop, but one never knew. He could be a customer. Solomon Mutou's eyes slid to the nearby counter. There was a substantial, head-shaped dent in it, and it was covered with blood. The wood floor had cracks where Matt lay.  
  
As Matt stood up slowly, he looked around. "What are all these displays?" Yuugi's grandfather decided to believe, for now at least, that Matt was a customer. And so Solomon Mutou explained to Matt the rules and strategies of a card game called Duel Monsters. Matt purchased some cards for the sake of politeness (he had smashed the man's counter), and because he believed in learning about the cultures and rituals of Worlds he visited. Besides, he did like card games... Matt stepped outside. Looking around, he saw that a battle must have taken place recently. "Martin, DNA test this blood sample."  
  
The small, blue box at Matt's belt spoke after a moment. "The DNA is similar to Totodile, but how can that be? Also, there's a human blood sample here. Two, in fact. Or at least, I thought so. The second one is similar to human, but it appears to be a hybrid..."  
  
At once, Matt knew. "Benjamin." He stepped back inside. Looking on the wall, he saw a picture of a child. "Who's that?" Matt asked.  
  
"That's my grandson, Yuugi. He's not here right now; in fact, he just left yesterday with a child named Benjamin..."  
  
Matt looked up sharply. So Benjamin had been here... "Do you have any idea where they went?"  
The man shook his head. "No, but I do know that they were trying to rescue some friends of Yuugi's. They said something about the Overlord, and the Clanners, but I don't know anything about that. He left this note."  
  
Matt quickly scanned the short, hand-written note. _Benjamin and I have gone to rescue the others from the Overlord. If we don't come back, we've been captured. If the Lieutenant returns, use my deck.  
-Yuugi  
_  
Hmm...what could the cryptic message mean? "Thank you. I have to go." Matt hurried outside. He had to find out what had happened to the two children. "Martin, it's time we returned home." -o-o-o-o-o- When Matt reached his lab, Cat was waiting for him. "Hey, Matt! You're back from your trip already? A boy smashed through one of the windows. I don't know who he is, but he looks like a Guardian. Mark said his name was Benjamin."  
  
Benjamin was already here? Maybe his Gating Device could be used to trace Yuugi! When he found Benjamin's Gating Device, however, it was obviously useless. The small, blood-encrusted metal oval was smashed. Wires stuck out everywhere, sparking slightly. It looked like this would have to be done the hard way. Matt thought hard. Where could he go next? Suddenly, he remembered. The Clanners! They might just have a clue.  
  
"Martin, get ready to Gate to the Clanner's World. We have some friends to rescue." 


	4. Captured!

Chapter 4--Captured!

Yuugi followed Kai-ana and her three children far into the mountains. Finally, they stopped. Kai-ana gave a loud cry, similar to a hawk's. In answer, three figures darted from the wilderness around them; their thick hide clothing was both protection from the cold and excellent camoflage. All the Clanners began speaking in their own curious language. Yuugi understood none of it--until one Clanner spoke to him. In thickly accented English, he said, "You, there. Where you come from? Why here, now? How you get here? You know about Clanners? Answer me!"  
  
Yuugi blinked. How was he supposed to answer all of those questions!? "I come from another World, and I didn't mean to be here now. I was traveling with a friend, but we were separated. I don't know anything about the Clanners, but we were looking for them. Someone once told me that the Clanners would fight with us, if someone asked them to."  
  
The man grinned. "Ah, so you have friend who know about Clanns? We take you to Chieftenn, now. Take you all quick. Come." They began to march again. Yuugi sighed. These Clanners were so suspicious!-o-o-o-o-o-Several hours later, they reached what appeared to be a village in the mountains. Looking again, however, Yuugi saw that it was far more technologically advanced than the village he had traveled from. The guards stationed around the outskirts carried metal weapons, and a Clanner came to meet them bore a lantern.  
  
"You have come to see Shi-kai-dek? Chieftenn?" He gestured to Kai- ana and her children. "You four, you may enter. But this one must come with us. Come, we must hurry. Follow me."  
  
Yuugi marched off after them. No matter what you were trying to do or where you were trying to go, the Clanners had the singular skill of making it incredibly difficult and complicated. Every few yards, someone would demand a password, which seemed to change at every station. The village itself was a series of long, winding streets paved with a substance similar to cobblestone, with houses at intervals. The town followed no particular plan or structure, seeming instead to grow out of the mountain. It was full of light and lanterns, and people darted here and there, watching the stranger being taken to the Chieftenn.Finally, at the far end of the town (and after almost twenty passwords), they reached a large structure that was almost, but not quite, completely unlike the sort of housing a person of importance would be given in Yuugi's World. Instead of being tall or majestic, it was low to the ground, made of plain, ordinary wood, and perfectly circular. On the doorway (if it could be called a doorway) was emblazoned a hawk taking flight. Torches and lanterns guttered around the entrance. The guard called out a new password, and they stepped inside.A fire burned at one end of the low, dark hall. Several people stood near the entrance, and they moved backward as Yuugi and the Clanners stepped inside. At the far end of the long, narrow building was a structure that seemed to function as a throne. It was made of mahogany- colored wood, and was carved with strange symbols and designs. The figure seated upon it stood.  
  
"So. My guards tell me that you come bearing the light of the Star, but you bear no Star Magic of your own. Explain yourself." To his shock, Yuugi realized that the "Chieftenn" was actually a girl only a few years older than he was!  
  
"How can you be the leader here? You're far younger than any of these others!"  
  
The people nearby gasped. Some turned spear and dagger points toward him. Thankfully, the girl motioned that they should move back, tossing her long, blond-brown hair over her shoulders. "My father, the former Chieftenn, recently died. I rule in his stead. I may be young, but I am perfectly capable of protecting my people. Now, explain yourself!"  
  
Yuugi stepped forward. "My name is Yuugi. I was traveling with a boy named Benjamin to rescue my friends from the Overlord, but we were separated. By chance, I ended up here. Your people say I have the light of the Star. They mean this mark on my wrist. I have no Star magic because I am not a Clanner or a Star Warrior. I came here seeking the help of the Clanners."  
  
The girl nodded, ice-blue eyes carefully expressionless as she considered him. "Very well. You have met a Warrior, then, so they are not all dead and gone. You were right in thinking that the Clanners would help you. However, the enemy you speak of is very powerful, and is the enemy of all Clanners. You may stay with us until you find a way to return to your home, but there is little else we can do to help you. We are not a strong people anymore, but we endure, and live on. We will do what we can to fight the Overlord, however little that may be. Welcome to the Highwind Clann, Yuugi."-o-o-o-o-o-Meanwhile, deep in the Chaos fortress, a sinister being was relaying orders to his two chief soldiers.  
**_My Chaos Oracle and Lieutenant Gash, you must go to the World of the Clanners immediately. Now that we have captured the Warrior, our enemy is unprotected. Kill any that you find. Go at once.  
_**  
"Yes, my Lord," two voices chimed. The troops of Chaos, having captured Vicetor, the Last of Ancients, knew that this was the perfect opportunity to attack. The Lieutenant nodded decisively. Now they would destroy the hated Clanners, and capture their greatest enemy as well.-o-o-o-o-o-The Nightmare Clann knew that trouble was coming the moment Chaos troops entered their World. Swallowing their feudal pride, they contacted the Highwind Clann. Only Shi-kai-dek had any idea why the enemy had come. "Yuugi, the troops of Chaos have arrived. Why are they here?"  
  
The blood drained from Yuugi's face. Without looking at the Highwind Clann Chieftenn, he whispered, "The Overlord has found me. They're coming to kill me, and anyone who stands in their way. You will all die...because of me...."  
  
Shi-kai-dek stood up. "Never! The enemies of the Overlord are our allies. Yuugi, in times of danger such as these, there are few who will fight such enemies. The Clanners are a people of honor, and we will fight with you, even if it means death."  
  
Yuugi shook his head. "They already know that I'm here. What good will fighting do?"  
  
Shi-kai-dek smiled. "They may know that you're here, but they don't who you are. My Clann and I will disguise you as one of us. Come!"  
  
Unexpectedly, the leader of the Nightmare Clann (Clann of the All- seeing Eye of the Mind) stepped forward. "Your disguises will mean nothing for the one who travels with this stranger. Are the eyes of the Highwind Clann blind? I am gifted with the Spirit-Sight. I see your companion. Speak, stranger; explain yourself!"  
  
Yuugi stared at him in amazement, as did his yami, sitting invisibly next to him. In all of their travels, only one other person (besides Chaos, of course) had ever been able to see the yami! This dark spirit, which resided inside the Millenium Puzzle, helped Yuugi when he Dueled. Recently, he had learned how to manifest himself so that he was visible to ordinary humans, but at the moment he was manifested in his transparent form--very few people could see him like this.  
  
As Yuugi was about to speak, Shi-kai-dek broke in. "What accusation is this, Malakai? You say my Clann is blind? This child is clearly not an enemy! The Overlord is our enemy as well, Malakai, have you not forgotten?"  
  
Malakai sneered. "Danger often comes in innocent guise. Turning to Yuugi, he said, "Well? Will you explain yourself or not?"  
  
Yuugi took a deep breath. "It's true that I'm traveling with a spirit. He's my friend, and neither of us is going to hurt anyone."  
  
This seemed to enrage Malakai. "What!? You dare to suggest that you and your pathetic spirit friend could hope to harm the Clann of the All- seeing Eye of the Mind? We are the most powerful Spirit Summoners in the Multiverse! You are arrogant in your assurances!"  
  
Yuugi frowned. "But you were the one who said that we were dangerous in the first place!"  
  
To Yuugi's surprise, Malakai laughed. "That I did! You may be small, but you have heart, to speak to a Clann leader such! Stranger, my Clann and I are also with you. We can hide your ghostly friend from prying eyes. Come."  
  
The yami got up, the wall behind him visible through his body. "I am not a ghost!" he muttered.  
  
Malakai grinned. "That you are not. Follow me."Twenty minutes and lots of paint later, Yuugi and his yami were disguised as Clanners. Unfortunately, as Shi-kai-dek told him, nothing could make Yuugi look like a Clanner. His face was too innocent and childlike, as compared to the stern, harsh Highwind Clanners. The Nightmare Clann, perplexed by the calamity of trying to put face paint on what was essentially a contained soul, eventually made a hard choice, considering their penchant for titles and honor. They used their magic to give Yuugi's yami permanent Clanner markings, meaning that, for the rest of his life, the spirit would look like a Clanner. The simplest of Nightmare Clann markings, the ring with a slash through it encircling the right eye, was used in combination with the lightning bolt symbol of a spirit. Yuugi fared better. Because he was human, the Highwind Clanners were able to use nonpermanent paint on him. He ended up with the sign of the hawk, as well as the mark of a non-warrior.  
  
Shi-kai-dek, however, was not pleased with the result. "The symbols are right, but no one would think you were a Clanner. Your face is all wrong. This will help hide some of the tell-tales," she said, handing him a curious silver helm. "You will have to change clothes to look like us Clanners as well; I'm afraid there is little I can do about your aura. Hurry, now; there' s not much time."  
  
Elsewhere, the Clanners were gearing up for war. Chaos Shadow-troops were on the move, and battle was the only choice. Yuugi, armed only with the small knife given to him by Vice, took his place with the Clanners. It would be a long night.-o-o-o-o-o-The forces of Chaos attacked in the darkness, their ally. They came swiftly, capturing or killing all that they could. Yuugi understood very little of the battle; he tried to fight, but he was not a warrior. He remained unnoticed by the Shadow-troops for a time (their Sight is very poor), but he could not evade them forever. Towards the end of the battle, when it seemed that the Clanners might be victorious, Yuugi was trapped with about thirteen other Clanners, all children under eighteen, in a standoff against a contingent of troops. For a time it seemed that they might break free of the surrounding troops, but it soon became apparent that the Lieutenant of Chaos had finally arrived. Knowing of his target, he attacked Yuugi ferociously. Unable to match Lieutenant Gash's swordplay, he was knocked backwards, his dagger torn from his grasp. Yuugi closed his eyes. This was the end.  
  
The Lieutenant's cry of pain and surprise brought him back to reality. Shi-kai-dek, brave Clanner Chieftenn, had come to Yuugi's rescue. With her long iron staff, bearing a curved blade at each end, she struck out against the Lieutenant. A she dodged and feinted, an unexpected attack from behind drew Yuugi into a different part of the battle. His final undoing was a demon-scout. Yuugi blacked out. Meanwhile, all around, the Clanners were locked into individual skirmishes, always losing. The troops of the Overlord, having been unsuccessful in finding Yuugi, moved on to the next target. They would return later to clean up the aftermath.-o-o-o-o-o-Much time later, Yuugi woke up. Everything was frighteningly still and silent. The wind shrieked past like the cry of one dying, and all around, bodies lay, their faces in the grotesque mask of death. Stumbling through the carnage, Yuugi found Shi-kai-dek. Facing the far more powerful Lieutenant, Shi-kai-dek had not been afraid to meet her death for another's sake. Now, she took her last breaths. Smiling faintly, she spoke in a halting whisper.  
  
"So...they didn't...find you...Yuugi.... they're still...looking. You...have to run. If they find you...all of us...in trouble...hurry...get out of here...."  
  
Kneeling, Yuugi said, in shock, "Why did you do it? You knew that Gash would win...he was much stronger than you..."  
  
Shi-kai-dek tried and failed to sit up. Coughing blood, she stammered, "Had to...you were...in trouble. Clanners...very honorable. Always...help a friend. Yuugi...this is the end....for me. Do not forget us...any of us. We...fought as best....as we could. The Clanners...will remember this battle...if...any survive." The dying Chieftenn of the Highwind Clann struggled to keep breathing.  
  
"Shi-kai-dek, you can't die...you have to hang on..." Yuugi whispered brokenly, knowing that it was hopeless.  
  
Shi-kai-dek turned her head slightly. "Yuugi...you humans...always trying to escape....the inevitable. Nothing...we can....do now. Save your tears...Yuugi...we died with honor. More than some...can say..." Yuugi was silent. Shi-kai-dek's eyes grew dim. "Yuugi...my name...not Shi-kai-dek. My True Name...it is....Aria................."  
  
Shi-kai-dek, Aria, the leader of the Clann of the Spirit of the Falcon, closed her eyes for the last time. A cold, bitter wind shrieked past on that lonely mountain plateau as, all alone among the dead, Yuugi Mutou cried.  
  
This was how Chaos found him some time later, after the massacre of Nightmare Clann. Yuugi offered no resistance as they bound his hands and Gated out. 


	5. The Dungeons of the Overlord

Chapter 5--The Dungeons of the Overlord  
  
Slowly, the yami returned to consciousness. _Where am I? And what happened?_ he thought. He was chained to a wall of a small, dank room by glowing shackles, clearly magical. Not yet wishing to remove the yami from the Millennium Puzzle, Chaos instead forced him to materialize and then kept him so by binding him. But how had he gotten here in the first place? Everything came rushing back to him. The battle! Clearly, they had lost. Had Yuugi been captured? They had been separated, so for all he knew, Yuugi could be dead. No...that was not so. He could feel it. The spirit knew they would come to interrogate him soon. No matter what happens, I must not betray the others. Never again...the creak of a cell door drew him out of his revere.  
  
The Chaos Oracle, looking like a purple-black cloud with narrow, glowing red eyes, drifted in, gloating. "So, spirit, you return to us! Hahahaha....once a creature of Chaos, always a creature of Chaos! There is no escape this time, not for you or any of your pathetic friends!"  
  
"That's not true!" Yuugi's yami replied fiercely, glaring at the Oracle with his dark violet eyes, so similar to and yet so very different from Yuugi's.. "We will never admit defeat!"  
  
"Then you live in denial. Face it; with all of you captured, there's no one to come to the rescue this time! HAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" the Oracle cackled, clapping the misty hands that floated close to his 'body", clearly amused by the spirit's helpless position. The yami grimaced. If what the Oracle said was true, there really was no hope...no! If he once believed that, they had already lost.  
  
The beep of a communicator interrupted the Oracle's leering mockery. "What is it?"  
  
The worried voice that replied, surprisingly pleasant for a Chaos creature, could only be Lieutenant Gash. "Oracle, the prisoner has escaped! Come quickly!"  
  
The Oracle shrieked his fury. "What!? Which one?"  
  
Gash hesitated for a moment before replying in a monotone, "The Warrior. Shang." Yami was confused for a moment before he remembered that Shang was Vice's second name--the one he used when he didn't want to reveal his True Name.  
  
"How!? We had him locked up under heavy security! I presume that this has nothing to do with your past, Lieutenant?" The Oracle's voice held a razor-sharp edge of malice and suspicion as he scowled darkly.  
  
The Lieutenant replied quickly this time, his voice returning to its usual clear, disinterested tone. "Oracle, how dare you suggest such a thing. My past is dead. As far as I am concerned, it never happened."  
  
"Good. See that you do not forget this. I am on my way." Shutting off the communicator, he turned to the yami. "It seems that I will have to attend to you later. Don't go anywhere, now; there's plenty of time," the demon said in a mock-friendly voice, grinning maliciously before speeding away like a malevolent zephyr.  
  
Yuugi's yami shuddered. Vice had escaped, at the least...but the others were still captured, and knowing the Oracle, it would not be a pleasant stay.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
In another part of the base, Matt was unlocking Vice's cell door. After receiving Gate coordinates from the tragedy-stricken Clanners, he had Gated directly into the Chaos fortress! Hiding in the shadows, he had observed the Lieutenant pacing noiselessly by on his customary rounds. As Gash walked away, he shifted his arm slightly, and a small key dropped from his pocket. Matt hurriedly picked it up once the black-haired servant of Chaos was out of sight and found Vice's cell.  
  
"Long time no see, Matt. Why are you here now? And how did you find your way in?" Vice asked politely, oddly at ease with his ally's bizarre arrival.  
  
Matt shrugged with characteristic nonchalance. "It's a long story, too long for right now. We have to rescue the others!"  
  
Vice shook his head. "Go home, Matt. This isn't your war, and you've just retired. Go...I'll do it."  
  
Matt simply grinned. "Come on--we have some friends to rescue."  
  
Vice shook his head, smiling, then laid out a complicated plan, in which Matt would search for the less heavily guarded targets-Yuugi's friends. Vice, with his better knowledge of the base's layout, would hunt for the Overlord's prize prisoner. The two separated, knowing that only speed would save the captives now.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
As they left, another group of captured children was slowly waking up. Their hands and feet were bound, but oddly enough, they had all been thrown in the same cell, which, like nearly all the prison cells in the base, was dark, damp, and very cold. The unwise decision to leave them together was hardly useful to the prisoners, as they couldn't even stand up. Upon regaining consciousness and seeing their predicament, they began arguing fiercely with each other. These four children's names were (you guessed it) Joey, Kaiba, Tea, and Tristan.  
  
"Where are we?" said one, shaking his tawny bangs out of his brown eyes. "The minute dose things touched us, dey must have transported us here!"  
  
Another, sitting nearby, snorted, ice-blue eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Well thank you for stating the obvious. And here I thought you couldn't get any stupider..."  
  
"Hey! Take dat back!" the first replied, fuming.  
  
"What, offended by the truth, mutt?" came the immediate comeback, delivered with such total condescension it might have been practiced.  
  
"Grrr...if you're so smart, den how do we get outta here, genius?" the blond answered back, looking smug at having come up with such an amazingly stumping comeback.  
  
"We're trapped, tied up, and they've taken our Decks. It's hopeless, you twit," came the bored-sounding reply.  
  
"No way I'm givin' up--dere's gotta be a way out. If only we could untie our hands..." the blond muttered to himself as he racked his brain.  
  
"Great idea," the second boy said sarcastically, trying without success to get a strand of brown hair out of his eye, "but they've taken EVERYTHING WE HAVE! We can't untie our hands or escape, you idiot!"  
  
"Don't be such a pessimist," the other snapped back.  
  
"You don't even know what that means," was the reply; apparently the owner of the voice was too uncomfortable to think of something more crushing.  
  
"I do too!" the insulted party said loudly, sounding like a three- year-old.  
  
"Prove it," his adversary answered back, sounding equally childish.  
  
"Why should I?" the first boy answered, while trying to remember what "pessimist" meant, exactly.  
  
"See? You don't know what it means," the brunette sneered.  
  
"Dat is so not true! You're just bein' a stubborn jerk!"  
  
"Am I? At least I know that there's no way out of here." At this point, the conversation became even more tedious, if that was possible.  
  
"Dere has to be!"  
  
"There isn't."  
  
"Dere is too!"  
  
"There is not!"  
  
"Dere-"  
  
Tea sighed, blinking her clear blue eyes tiredly. "Could you two please stop it? You won't solve anything by fighting. Let's think. There must be something we can do," she said without enthusiasm; her cramped muscles were making it difficult to be her usual, cheerful self. Kaiba and Joey glared at each other for a moment, then fell silent, both too tired to keep arguing.  
  
"If only we still had our Decks!" Tea said in frustration, wishing she could scratch her nose; her hair, as messy as everyone else's, was in her face, limiting her vision to a hazy curtain of brown. "Without our monsters, there's no way we can break these cell bars...but they took all of them...."  
  
Tristan smiled, slightly more energetic than everyone else; his dark- brown hair was in its customary horn-like spike, so he could at least see better than the others. It was a small thing, but at this point, he wasn't going to be picky. He had remained silent so far, holding his trump card until the very end. "That's where you're wrong!"  
  
Everyone turned to him. "What do you mean?" Kaiba demanded, blue eyes even icier than usual with his fury at not being the one to have an idea.  
  
Tristan tried to stand up, and failed miserably. He attempted to regain his dignity by sitting up straight, dark-brown eyes filled with pride. "Well, you see, they've taken YOUR Decks, and all of your monsters, but they decided not to search me, because they already knew that I didn't have a Deck! You see?"  
  
Joey groaned and slumped forward, causing his blond hair to flop back into his eyes. "For a second dere I thought you were onto something. Tristan, YOU'RE NOT A DUELIST! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MONSTERS!" Joey wouldn't normally haven't gotten quite so upset with his friend, but under the circumstances, it was understandable.  
  
Tristan looked injured. "Hey, I was getting to that part! See, I do have one monster. Remember when we all got split up that time when we first found out about Chaos? And you guys got all your monsters then? Well, I went to this weird place, where there were these creatures called Pokemon. I got one for myself!"  
  
Tea blinked in surprise; this was completely unexpected.. "How? You don't have any blank cards..."  
  
"That's where you're wrong again. Vice gave me some when he gave them to you guys! He said that, even though I don't have a Deck, they might come in handy. And boy, was he right!"  
  
They all leaned forward eagerly. "So? What didja get?" Joey asked, sounding excited; the prospect of escape was enough to boost everyone's spirits.  
  
Tristan grinned triumphantly. "This one! I Summon--Kylie!" He squinted, concentrating hard as sweat popped out on his forehead with the effort of the Summoning. At last, out of his jacket pocket erupted a shimmering light--the magic of Summoning. With agonizing slowness, a creature began to materialize...  
  
"Eevee!" A small, brown, fox-like creature with a creamy-white ruff and tail tip hopped up and down excitedly, bright eyes shimmering.  
  
Everyone groaned. "When you said you had just one creature, I thought that maybe you had made an intelligent decision for once and gotten a useful one. Why did you pick this thing?" Kaiba said, scowling in disappointment.  
  
"I didn't really have a choice! She kind of...found me. Anyway, she can help us!"  
  
Tea frowned. "Um, Tristan? I hate to be a downer, but she's too little to break the bars!"  
  
"Eevee...." Kylie's ears drooped.  
  
"It's okay, Kylie. Guys, she's small enough to slip between the bars! Then she can unlock the cell from the outside!"  
  
"You sure about dat, Tristan?" Joey asked doubtfully. "After all, she's awful small..."  
  
"She can do it," Tristan said confidently.  
  
Everyone held their breath as Kylie wriggled between the bars, landing on the other side with a faint thump. Shaking her head vigorously, she hopped up and examined the lock. Luckily, it was a simple loop with a metal bar fitted through it rather than a keyhole. Slowly, Kylie began to nudge the bar on the lock to the side; her small size made it difficult, and the bar barely moved. Painstakingly, inch by inch, Kylie shoved it sideways with determination shining in her eyes. At long last, it slipped out, falling. Before it could clatter noisily to the floor, Kylie leaped up and caught it in her mouth. She slipped back between the bars and trotted over to Tristan, proudly handing him the piece of metal that formerly held the door shut.  
  
"Eevee ee!" she squeaked excitedly.  
  
The four freed prisoners began to speak in whispers, feeling more cautious now that freedom was in sight. "Great job, Kylie. Now, bite through the ties on our hands and feet!" Tristan commanded, breathing an inner sigh of relief that the bonds were rope. One by one, all of them were freed, until at last Kylie sat back with aching jaws, leaning contentedly against her master. The four stood up slowly, rubbing their wrists and ankles to restore circulation and stretching until their muscles felt less stiff.  
  
"Okay, what next?"  
  
"That's obvious, isn't it? Next, we find our decks and escape!"  
  
Chaos' brilliant plan was starting to fall apart. Not only had Vice escaped, but all of Yuugi's friends had too.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Vice raced through the familiar corridors. They were lucky this time; the Overlord had been careless, not expecting any rescue to come for the prisoners. He headed right, to the subterranean high-security dungeons. The Overlord liked to have his prison cells scattered throughout the base, to keep prisoners separated and make escape or rescue more difficult; the demoralization amused him as well.  
  
Well-hidden in the shadows of the rough-hewn walls and shrouded in his long, black coat, Vice could easily have been mistaken for a sinister Chaos creature himself. He ran at top speed, all the while wondering if it was already too late. "Three left, two right," he muttered to himself as he counted doorways, absently running a hand through his messy white-blond hair, hanging around his ears.  
  
Finally, he reached his destination. Quietly picking the lock on the heavy steel door and canceling the Chaotic barrier with his own magic, he entered the high-security area. This was the only place the Overlord would imprison Yuugi, his greatest enemy. It was in the deepest part of the base, far from any entrances or exits, difficult to get into and nearly impossible to get out of. No doubt they never expected another prisoner to venture this far; few ever managed to get out of their cells, since outside help was nearly impossible to procure. Knowing almost nothing about Matt, the Overlord had made a grave miscalculation.  
  
Vice glanced quickly around the room. His guess was a good one; Yuugi was here, locked up at the back. Vice was relieved to see that he was still wearing the Millennium Puzzle; evidently it never occurred to any of the Chaos troops to take it, not knowing of its power. Vice didn't care why they hadn't taken it--all that mattered was that they wouldn't have to find Yuugi's yami as well, since he could draw the spirit back into the Puzzle he was bound to.  
  
"How did you find me? This must be deep inside the base..." Yuugi whispered, astounded.  
  
Vice grinned, luminous green eyes quickly scanning the chains and shackles around Yuugi's arms and legs. "You'd be surprised," he said mildly, unlocking his small friend. "Come on; we have to get out of here before the Lieutenant finds out I've escaped. Bet they never thought Matt would save us, eh?"  
  
The door closed again, and Vice pried open a concealed air duct cover. Yuugi stared at him. "How did you do that?"  
  
Vice climbed through, pulling Yuugi after him. "I know every room and duct in this base," he said softly, his voice faintly sorrowful. "This is the one place even the Lieutenant won't think to search; most of the Chaos Army doesn't even know about these air ducts, since they didn't build this base themselves. That's what you get for using slaves to do everything, eh?"  
  
Vice pulled Yuugi along, mumbling to himself as his recalled the layout of the ventilation system. The escape was nearly complete; now only Matt's job remained...  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Matt, meanwhile, was calming exploring the base, unconcerned at being inside the main headquarters of a army most people were terrified of. He followed Vice's precise, careful directions, and finally, he reached the level he was looking for.  
  
At the end of a damp, cold, dimly lit room, four children stood outside a barred and locked cell, arguing furiously without regard to the amount of noise they were making. Matt was amazed that no one had noticed yet. He was unaware that, although troops occasionally patrolled the corridors, most of the Chaos defenses were based on preventing people from entering the base in the first place; they needed very little internal security because the base was nearly impossible to escape from, once someone was unfortunate to become trapped inside.  
  
"You have no way of knowing which way to go! Face it, we're lost!" shouted a tall boy with brown hair and a habitual sneer on his face; Matt was surprised to see that he was wearing a blue trench coat that flared out behind him impressively as he gestured.  
  
"I still say it was left!" replied the person he was shouting at, a blond boy wearing a faded green jacket. His hands were balled into fists as he glared at the trench coat boy.  
  
"That's because you're an idiot," the first child replied insultingly.  
  
"It's not like YOU know which way ta go!" the blond snapped back, looking furious.  
  
"Neither do you," the trench coat boy answered.  
  
"Yes I do!" the other said a little too quickly. "I remember which way dey took us!"  
  
"We were blind-folded," was the patronizing answer.  
  
"So? What difference does it make?" the blond said, seemingly not realizing that the whole point of blind-folding someone was to stop them from seeing anything.  
  
The slim, brown-haired girl sighed, shivering in her short skirt. "Would you two stop it? We have to get out of here!" she said, looking nervous.  
  
"Eevee ee!" Matt looked down. To his surprise, an Eevee sat patiently next to the third boy. Forgetting himself, he said, "How did you get that Eevee?"  
  
All four spun around. "Who are you, and how did you get in here!?" the Eevee-boy shouted, putting his fists up as if in preparation for a fight.  
  
Matt grinned at the sheer bizarreness of the situation. "Oh, I get around. Come on; I'm here to rescue you."  
  
And thus Matt met four very unusual prisoners. The escape was well underway. Now they just had to leave.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Matt and his rescued companions ran back to the central chamber of the level, where the elevators and stairs leading to the other levels were. Suddenly, Vice dropped down from the wall beside them, having removed the cover from the duct's grate. "Hey, Matt. Looks like you got everyone; now let's get out of here."  
  
One by one, Vice helped the four children climb into the duct, where they were reunited their friend Yuugi. Vice and Matt were about to leave themselves when suddenly, a sinister voice echoed from the corridor behind them.  
  
"So. We have found you at last. You may have escaped once, warrior, but you will not escape again." Lieutenant Gash drew his glittering Chaos Sword, cape swirling around him.  
  
Vice turned slowly. "Stay back, Matt."  
  
With a ring of steel, two knives appeared in his hands. Matt, watching the battle, quickly realized that as skilled a sword fighter as the Lieutenant was, he was no match for Vice. After a short and fierce fight, Vice knocked Gash's sword out of his hand with a clever twisting manuever and slammed him to the ground. He raised his knife, but the expected stab into the Chaos Lieutenant's throat never came. Vice stared down at him for a moment.  
  
"You traitor," he whispered.  
  
Vice thrust the knife into the ground beside Gash's throat, then rose and turned away. He threw a single, oddly-colored Pokeball to Matt, who caught it, not saying a word. He knew that he had to leave. As Matt walked away, Chaos bound Vice's hands behind him and dragged him off. All this time, the Lieutenant never moved. A single tear trickled from his closed eyes.  
  
Neither side had won this day. 


	6. The Beginning of a Journey

Chapter 6--The Beginning of a Journey  
  
  
Matt knew, in the back of his mind, that he was going to rescue Vice. All along, he knew. It just took a while for him to realize that he knew. That was all right; the point was that he was going. Matt gathered his weapons, his Pokemon, and all other equipment necessary for a dangerous journey like this. He smiled grimly to himself. Chaos would be in for a little surprise....

-o-o-o-o-o-Back home, Yuugi was sitting one the steps, having what, to the casual observer, appeared to be a rather heated conversation with himself.  
  
"But how can you be so sure? We didn't see what happened. If you're wrong, this could mean trouble for all of us. Why would you know, and the rest of us wouldn't? It doesn't make any sense."  
  
Yuugi's yami appeared next to him, visible only those with Spirit- Sight in his current, translucent form. "I know that it doesn't make sense. I can't explain how I know, but I'm sure that he's in trouble! Matt made it out of that fortress. Vice didn't. He needs our help!"  
  
Yuugi sighed in frustration. Once, he would have believed his yami without question, but now... "Would Matt leave a friend behind? He must have escaped. Why wouldn't he?"  
  
"If Vice and Matt got into trouble, wouldn't Vice tell Matt to run? Maybe they had no other choice," the yami argued, knowing both that he was right and that it would be extremely difficult to convince anyone else of this.  
  
Yuugi hesitated. His yami sounded very confident...but... "But how can you be sure? We need to know for certain before we do anything!"  
  
"You just have to trust me," the yami said simply, trying not to sound too desperate. "Please. Just this once. Vice needs our help! Benjamin doesn't know what happened. Matt isn't going to risk endangering his World. We're the only rescue that would come. We have to do this."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Do you trust me?" the spirit asked, not really sure he wanted to know the answer.  
  
Yuugi paused for a moment._ Everyone deserves a second chance...I can trust him...I just know I can_, he thought to himself, standing up. "Let's go call the others."Twenty minutes later, Yuugi and his friends were ready to go. Their destination? The Chaos fortress.-o-o-o-o-o-Far away, imprisoned deep within the stronghold of the Overlord, Vice sighed. It would be a long night, or day, perhaps. Hard to tell what time it was, so deep underground. The Chaos magic always confused his innate ability to sense things like the time of day. The Overlord was furious at the prisoners' escape, and he would be sure not to make the same mistakes twice. It wasn't really him that the Overlord wanted captured, although they were overjoyed to have caged him at last, and defeated a rescue effort. It was Yuugi they were after; he was just one of any number of traps Chaos would set up to lure its prey in, and once that prey was in range, they would snap it up with jaws of steel. If they came to rescue him, they would be finished.  
  
Unless...there was only one way that any of them would make it out of the Overlord's fortress, his only tenuous clutch at the reality most Multiverse beings existed in, and it was a slim chance at that. It all depended on the murky waters of the past, and if that past were any indicator of the future, it was hopeless. But if that faint glimmer of hope existed, if old loyalties proved stronger than new alignment...they might just survive. Vice listened to the ring of heavy footsteps as the Lieutenant marched down the corridor.  
  
_ Not a chance,_ he thought.-o-o-o-o-o-Yuugi and his friends raced down the narrow corridor, having used the coordinates still stored in Yuugi's Gater from the first time they went to the Chaos Fortress to get back in; evidently the Overlord had still not installed new Gate shields. They were hopelessly lost, but they didn't care--the important thing was to rescue Vice. As the turned a corner, they ran straight into Matt! All but Matt collapsed in a heap. Slowly picking themselves up, they stared at him.  
  
"Matt! What are you doing here?" Yuugi asked, surprised.  
  
Matt grinned. "I could ask you the same question."  
  
"Obviously, we're here ta rescue Vice," Joey said.  
  
Matt nodded. He saw that they were standing at a junction; two other corridors branched off from their current path. "Well, which way do we go?" he said, and immediately, an argument broke out.  
  
"I say we keep goin' dis way!"  
  
"You don't even know where we're going!"  
  
"I do too! I rememba the way from the room we were locked ta dat hall place!"  
  
"We don't even know where we are, you idiot! That won't help!"  
  
Matt stepped forward. Drawing his enormous battle sword, he thrust it up to the hilt into the metal flooring. "Now. Did any of you want to say something?" he said calmly. Kaiba and Joey shook their heads in stunned silence. Matt smiled. "So. Which way do we go?"  
  
They all looked at each other. Finally, Yuugi said, "Left."  
  
Matt sheathed his sword. "Okay, we listen to the short kid. Come on."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"No offense or anything," Matt said placatingly, grinning. The rescue had begun.-o-o-o-o-o-A few minutes later, they had reached Vice's cell. He smiled wearily. "What brings you here, Matt?"  
  
"Hey, I'm your friend. We're here to rescue you." Matt drew his gigantic sword again, and prepared to slash the cell bars, not heading the words of his imprisoned friend.  
  
"That won't work...it's sealed by powerful Chaotic magic."  
  
As Matt felt the shock from the heavy clash of metal-on-metal, he muttered, "Now you tell me..." as he got up, having been thrown to the floor by the recoil.  
  
Vice shook his head. "You didn't listen. This door cannot be broken down or unlocked by any means. It is hopeless to try."  
  
"Well, what do we do then?" Matt asked, always ready for action.  
  
Vice hesitated. He did not want to drag all of his friends into a dangerous conflict with the Overlord. On the other hand, they were already involved whether they liked it or not because of their friendship with Yuugi. But what could they do? Suddenly, it hit him. "Well...if you really want to help...you can find the Key of Aramas."  
  
Matt grinned. "Okay, so where is it?"  
  
Vice frowned. "The Key of Aramas is not easy to find. There are two halves, and they are hidden far from each other."  
  
Matt groaned and whacked himself in the head; he should have known this wasn't going to be easy. Ignoring this, Vice continued his explanation. "One half is hidden in the Mountain League Cloud Citadel in your own World. You could ask the League elite to give you the key, but above all, your World must not know of the battle with the Overlord. If they somehow find out, the Overlord will strike, and he will not stop until all your people are dead and your World laid in ruin. That means that you have to go through the entire League to get the key. The other half is hidden...elsewhere. Here, give me your Gating Device."  
  
Taking Yuugi's Gater, Vice tapped in some coordinates. Looking at Kaiba, Joey, Tea, and Tristan, he said, "You four must retrieve this half. You have never truly seen war and death before, but if you go, you will. The choice is yours."  
  
They looked nervously at each other. War and death? But we have to go, Tea thought, Vice is our friend! She looked up. "I'll go. I'm not afraid," she added, although inside she was shaking like a leaf.  
  
"I'm comin' too!" Joey said bravely, not really knowing what was going to happen but always ready to help out.  
  
"Count me in!" Tristan added; there was no way he would let his friends go into danger without him.  
  
There was a pause as they all looked at Kaiba. He glared back at them, while holding an internal debate. He hated anything that smacked of "team work," but he hated owing debts even more...Yuugi had helped him out more than once in the past, and as much as he hated to admit it, all of them were starting to grow on him. "I'll come as well," he finally said.  
  
Vice smiled sadly, feeling the familiar sensation of worry for someone else...it had been so long since he had had any friends. "Thank you...here. Take this Gater. The coordinates will take you where you must go."  
  
Tea shook her head. "Oh, that's Yuugi's Gater."  
  
Vice looked at her curiously. "Yes, I know. You don't have one of your own, so you'll have to borrow this one," he said mildly.  
  
"Wait a second," Yuugi said, "I'm not going with them?"  
  
Vice sighed. "I'm afraid not, Yuugi. You will be needed elsewhere." Looking at all of them, his face softened slightly; they had only discovered the Multiverse a few months ago--how could he expect them to be ready for this? "This is war, but it is still your choice. None of you has to do this."  
  
All four paused. Finally, Joey took the Gater. "Maybe I don' want ta do dis, but it's important. I'll go."  
  
"And we'll all go with you," Tea quickly volunteered.  
  
Kaiba sighed. "How did I get dragged into this..."  
  
The four of them Gated out. Vice turned to Matt and Yuugi. "You must retrieve the other half of the key. Find Benjamin; he will help you. Go well."  
  
Yuugi looked uncertainly at Matt. "But I'm not a Pokemon trainer. Matt could do it by himself...I don't know anything about his World! I would only get in the way."  
  
Vice smiled. "Luminaras will come with you. He'll do what you ask; it's only me he doesn't listen to."  
  
The Pokeball still in Matt's pocket opened, and in a burst of red light, a slim, black fox about as high as Matt's knee with long legs and a cat-like face popped out. Shaking its long ears, which, like its legs and tail, had bands of yellow color on them, it nuzzled Vice's hand happily, red eyes glittering. "Bre umbre!"  
  
"I thought I told you to stay in your Pokeball! Yuugi, you'll be fine. Matt will fail without you."  
  
"Well...all right, I'll try. Let's go!" Matt and Yuugi Gated out. The quest for the key of Aramas had begun. 


	7. The Mountain League

Chap. 7--The Mountain League

Yuugi and Matt Gated directly to the Mountain League. Upon reaching the Pokemon World, they saw, to their great surprise, Benjamin! His Guardian partner, Bikaymon, sat on his shoulder; Bikaymon was a Dark- Digimon resembling a dark-gray bowling ball with large bat-like wings, bird- like legs, and a face. Next to Benjamin were to very unusual people Yuugi didn't recognize.  
  
One was Miaka, a girl from the underwater Coral Leagues. Her people dwelt in the sea, and although their proportions were humanoid, they had some similarities to fish. They could easily be mistaken for mermaids at a distance, but in truth they had both legs and tails, just as they had both gills and lungs. They were usually a deep shade of blue, and wore only minimal clothing for ease in the water.  
A row of spines ran down Miaka's back, and fins stuck out at her elbows and knees. Where a human would have only the internal tailbone, Miaka had a muscular, finned tail that ran from her pelvis to her feet. Her head was smooth, with fin-like appendages coming from behind her tiny ears, and her nose was flatter and narrower than a human's. Her golden eyes were elongated and set at a slant, able to see equally well both above and below water. Miaka's feet were shorter and broader than a humans, and although she could walk on them, they were clearly designed for swimming. Between her fingers and toes were loose webs of skin, to increase the force of a stroke underwater. In all, she looked quite odd.  
The tribes of Miaka's people were nearly always in conflict with the Equinox Islanders, who mistrusted them for their appearances.  
  
Beside Miaka stood an equally strange girl, although she was more human in appearance. In fact, she was almost unnoticeable because she was so ordinary. Her hair color was hard to define, as were the colors of her clothing; at first glance they seemed gray, but a second look would show that they had faint tints of color. She was like a shadow on a bright day, ready to disappear at any moment.  
  
As Yuugi and Matt approached, the group turned. Benjamin, his keen senses always on alert, relaxed slightly when he saw that the approaching people were allies. "Yuugi! What are you doing here?"  
  
Yuugi smiled brightly. "I could ask you the same question. How can you be here, exactly when I need you?"  
  
Matt looked confused. "Wait...why are you here, Ben? And who're your friends?"  
  
Benjamin looked at Matt, face serious as usual. "I came because your people are in terrible danger. These are my allies," he added, gesturing slightly to his two friends without giving their names.  
  
Miaka rolled her eyes, used to Benjamin's Darkling mannerisms. "I'm Miaka, this is Rana. We're here 'cause Benjamin could probably use some help--it is our World, after all."  
  
Matt nodded to Miaka, whom he had already met, then turned to Rana. "Hello, Rana. Nice to meet you." Matt stretched his hand forward to shake with Rana, but his hand passed through her! Matt stared at her for a second, then hit himself in the head. "Oh...you're from the Shadow League, aren't you?"  
  
Rana, as far as they could tell from her lack of color, blushed. "I'm still working on my physical manifestation. My full name is Ranahamara, but I guess you can call me Rana for short. I live here--or at least, I would if those damn Mountain League idiots weren't around."  
  
Rana scowled. Her people and those of the Mountain League had long uneasy with each other, for the same reasons that Miaka's people the Equinox Islands were. Both were hated for something they could not control: their species. Benjamin could sympathize with them, and they with him. This was one of the reasons that they were such good friends.  
  
Benjamin turned back to Matt. "We've told you our purpose here; what brings you to the mountains?"  
Matt looked at Yuugi. "Maybe you'd better tell them..."  
  
Yuugi hastily began to explain. "Well...it's a long story. When we got separated, I met up with some Clanners. Then I got captured by Chaos, then I got rescued, but my friend Vice is in trouble, so now I'm here to get half of a key by entering the Mountain League."  
  
After this much-abridged version of Yuugi's journey, Rana scoffed. "You? Beat the Mountain League? Yeah, right! You're just one more pathetic human thinking you're something special. Get lost, kid."  
  
Miaka rounded on her. "Rana! Be nice. It's not his fault that he's human."  
  
Benjamin, leaving them to argue, turned to Yuugi. "She's right, you know. You're not a Pokemon trainer, and I don't know if you'd be able to defeat the Mountain League Champion, even if you did get all of the necessary Gym Badges. Yuugi, your friends are my friends; I'll help beat the Mountain League and get that half of a key!"  
  
Matt grinned. "I knew you'd be on our side. Come on; we should go register for the League." All five started for the laboratory of Professor Spruce, organizer of the Mountain League and Mountain Pokemon expert.-o-o-o-o-o-Professor Spruce, although an expert in all things concerning her beloved mountains, knew little about the rest of the Pokemon World. Thus, she was very surprised to see such an unusual group come walking through her door. Three of them appeared to be human; little did she know that only two of them were basically human, and none of them were even close to normal. Two Guardians, Matt, and two highly questionable native species (and a spirit, although the Professor didn't know that) rarely arrive at the doors of a League, hoping to sign up. Nevertheless, Professor Spruce welcomed them in and registered them quickly. Even now she did not recognize Matt, or his Dex. The Mountain Leagues are very isolated.  
  
Finally, she stood up. "Now, I suppose you'll all be wanting Pokedexes?"  
  
Rana and Miaka already had theirs. Matt would never need any Pokedex, thanks to Martin. Benjamin refused one on what he said was principle, and no one quite dared to question him. In fact, the silence was broken by an innocent but conspicuous question from one of the mysterious travelers.  
  
"What's a Pokedex?"  
  
Professor Spruce was speechless. All trainers, and for that matter everyone in the World, knew about Pokedexes. No one had ever asked her this before. The traveler's friends, however, took this in stride.  
  
Miaka grinned, pointed teeth looking unnaturally white against her dark, slightly pebbly skin. "Oh, you definitely want a Pokedex. Right, Rana?"  
  
The Shadow League girl was skeptical. "Nothing will make that pathetic excuse for a human a trainer."  
  
Matt and Benjamin, however, also agreed that a Pokedex would greatly help Yuugi. Taking one, however, it was clear to Professor Spruce that he had no idea what to do with it; Yuugi couldn't even figure out which side was supposed to be up, and shaking the narrow rectangular box had no effect. Matt, Miaka, Benjamin, and the Professor strove to explain it. Whether or not this was a success, they had no way of knowing, because at that moment they were interrupted by the ring of a telephone.  
  
"Hello, this is Professor Spruce. May I help you? Oh? Oh. Yes, I'll certainly keep an eye out. No, I'm afraid the registry won't be of much help. Yes, I'll certainly check. Good luck." She hung up, looking worried. Turning to the five travelers, she sighed. "Maybe you won't want to start your training journey after all...I just received word that a young trainer has been kidnapped. The only information we have on the kidnappers is that they wore dark cloaks, as if to hide their clothing, and that their faces were covered with paint, some kind of symbols, I believe. They must be part of a cult or something. Well, you're all registered. Keep on alert at all times; the fact that you're traveling together may deter attack, but all the same, be careful."Yuugi, Benjamin, Matt, Rana, and Miaka stepped outside. The bare, rocky path in front of Professor Spruce's laboratory reached a junction at the end, but the five travelers did not choose a path. Instead, they paused, wanting to discuss what they had just learned in private.  
  
Benjamin looked grave. "They must be Clanners. Until a picture or an accurate description of the symbols is gotten, we cannot know which Clann it was, but it makes no difference. No Clanner is trustworthy." The half-Darkling scowled. Bikaymon frowned, but said nothing; he knew Benjamin too well to think that anyone could disuade him from this opinion.  
  
Yuugi sighed. The deep prejudice between Clanners and Darklings was a mystery to him. "You know, Benjamin, not all Clanners are evil..."  
  
Benjamin looked away. "The Clanners are traitors--they cannot be trusted."  
  
Yuugi decided that this was not a good time to argue Clanner trustworthiness, as they had just attacked and kidnapped someone.  
  
It was Miaka who pointed out the obvious question. "Why would they attack some kid? Trainers don't have anything of value. It doesn't make any sense."  
  
Benjamin shook his head. "They are Clanners. Who can say what motivates them? I have heard that some Clanns have even joined forces with an army of Chaotic creatures led by the Overlord. What does that tell you about them?"  
  
Yuugi gasped. "The Overlord!? These Clanners must have sided with him. Then that means...they came...to find me..." He turned to Matt. "All your people will die because of me...just like last time...this is my fault..."  
  
Matt hit himself in the head. "Yuugi, this is not your fault. We'll catch the Clanners, and they'll pay for their evil. If they hurt anyone in my World, they'll wish they were never born."  
  
Benjamin nodded. "It was dishonorable to attack without sufficient cause, especially to attack someone innocent."  
  
Bikaymon looked troubled. "The Overlord has no real reason to be interested in the Pokemon World...why is he here? Does he know about us, or is he searching for this half of a key as well?" the Dark-Digimon said softly. Benjamin frowned, thinking about this.  
  
Yuugi nodded resolutely. "Matt, you have to stop the Clanners. I would go with you, but I promised Vice that I would find my half of the Key."  
  
Matt nodded and left, having Martin check to see if any other kidnappings had been reported. The four remaining questors looked at each other; for a moment, no one spoke.  
  
Miaka grinned. "Well, what are we waiting for? If we're gonna beat the League, we'd better get started! Ben, you, Bikaymon, and your friend take that path," she said, pointing down a road heading to their left. "Rana, let's go the other way! If we split up, we'll be done twice as fast. Come on!"The two groups walked off, ready to face whatever lay ahead. 


	8. What Happened to the Others

Chapter 8--What Happened to the Others

At the same time, four other travelers were Gating into an unknown World, attempting to find the other half of the Key. For them, the quest was not so simple; they didn't even know where to start looking.  
  
Tea, Kaiba, Joey, and Tristan had landed in a large, wet field, completely barren of any life but the tall, thick grass that reached their knees. It was raining heavily, and visibility was poor. They were cold, wet, and lost. Four weaker spirits might have given up right there. Luckily for all concerned, however, they decided to go somewhere, always assuming they would realize where they were once they arrived.  
  
They all, of course, had differing opinions about which way to go.  
  
"How about that way--you know, west," suggested Tea, struggling to maintain a positive outlook.  
  
"I don't think that's west; it might be north," Kaiba replied in an undertone, too uncomfortable to be obnoxious.  
  
"Who cares? Let's go dat way anyway," Joey said impatiently, wanting to stop talking and start doing something.  
  
"According to my compass, _that _way is West, and _that_ way is North," Tristan said, wondering if his compass was even functioning correctly in this World.  
  
"What difference does it make? We don't know where we're going anyway," Kaiba snapped, working hard to regain his usual attitude.  
  
"Unless you have a better idea, keep quiet!" Joey said, temper fraying; the longer they stood in one place, the wetter they were going to get.  
  
"Anything would be a better idea than what you have to say," Kaiba said coldly.  
  
"Knock it off!" Tristan said; usually he wouldn't have cared about arguing with Kaiba, but right now they needed to make a decision.  
  
"Stop fighting, guys," Tea said, adding to Tristan's case. "We have to go somewhere, and since we don't know where we are anyway, what difference does it make which way we go? Let's just go that way." She pointed in a random direction.  
  
Having no better options, they set off into the fog, deciding that Tea was right; however, as they would learn later in their quest, she was wrong. Choices always make a difference, whether you know what you are choosing or not.-o-o-o-o-o-The four adventurers continued walking into the ever-deepening twilight. After several hours, they saw faint lights up ahead. It was a tiny village, looking hastily constructed, at the very edge of the large field. Beyond it lay an eerily silent forest; the first trees were directly over the village. They looked at it uncertainly, then looked back at the village, and back at the forest once more.  
  
"I don't know...if we travel that forest at night, we may get lost. Of course, we don't know where we are anyway," Tea said, thinking.  
  
"Let's keep going, then. We can't get lost since we don't know where we are," Tristan put in, figuring that if they had to be cold and wet, they might as well be getting somewhere.  
  
"Maybe we should ask the people of da village for directions," Joey said excitedly, having just gotten this idea.  
  
"What, we just walk in and ask if they know where half of a key is? They'll think we're crazy, you moron." Kaiba said, squashing Joey's idea reflexively.  
  
"At least we could find out where we are!" Joey replied, doing his best to defend himself.  
  
"We have nothing to lose, right? Come on. We may as well find out where we're going," Tea said, splitting the two up again; she was quickly growing tired of doing so.  
  
They approached the village cautiously, making as little noise as possible; of course, since they were four inexperienced, tired, miserable teenagers, they were actually fairly noisy.  
  
Suddenly, someone seemed to materialize in front of them! He called to an unseen companion in a strange language. Soon, nearly a dozen strangers, all armed with long, serrated knives or bows and quivers of arrows with dark-colored feathers, stood around them.  
  
"Kai ro? Dak me shi? Krar nai!" one barked, gesturing violently with his blade. He was obviously furious with them for something, but Tea, Kaiba, Joey, and Tristan were mystified.  
  
"What did he say?" Joey asked, hiding nervously behind Tristan.  
  
"He's not speaking English, you moron. How should I know?" Kaiba said back, equally nervous but refusing to show it.  
  
"Would you two shut up? I don't know what he's saying, but he looks angry!" Tristan said; he had more reason than Joey to be nervous, since he was the one closer to the knives.  
  
One of the strangers began to question them in thickly accented English, apparently realizing that they didn't speak his language. "Trespassers. You. Why here? Your mission? Alignment? Names? Answer me!"  
  
Tea stepped forward, swallowing hard and hoping she sounded more confident than she felt; if they didn't believe her, all of them were in big trouble.. "We're really sorry that we trespassed on your land, but we don't really have a mission, and we're not aligned with anybody, and I don't see any reason why I should tell you my name!"  
  
The stranger whistled sharply to his companions. He gave them some quick orders, then said, "All of you, follow me. Come, now. We go to Chieftenn."  
  
What choice did they have? They were surrounded and in unfamiliar territory, with a group of obviously trained warriors glaring at them. They followed the strangers through the darkness, towards the village beyond.-o-o-o-o-o-They were lead through the village to the base of a large tree. One of the warriors called out something, and a rope ladder was dropped. After a precarious climb, they reached the canopy, and realized that this was actually one of a group of trees on which roofed and walled wooden platforms had been built. Bridges connected the trees, and a large portion of the forest seemed to be colonized by these resourceful, if hostile, people.  
  
Tea, Kaiba, Joey, and Tristan followed their captors up two ladders and across many bridges before they came to the central structure. It was an impressive building, a round, domed structure made entirely of living trees and a wooden floor. It seemed that its builder's skill had been so great, they had convinced the trees to grow as they willed them.  
  
All but one of their escort stood aside as they entered the building. At the far end of the hall was a throne made of more trees, also growing in formation. The seated Chieftenn rose and approached them. They saw that the Clann leader was a slim, short woman of indisernable age; her height made her look young, but her dark-green eyes seemed ancient in wisdom. All those standing in the hall knelt. The guard beside them shoved them downwards as well.  
  
The Chieftenn looked coldly at them. "At ease. Explain your purpose in trespassing on my land, strangers!"  
  
Tea started to explain, when Joey broke in. "Hey--what gives? You're just a kid! How come you're da Chieftenn?"  
  
Tea blushed. "Shhh! You're not supposed to just say stuff like that to leaders of other civilizations, Joey!"  
  
"Why not? It's true, isn't it?"  
  
The Chieftenn stalked forward; Kaiba privately thought that she must be very old indeed as even he felt a prickle of fear before her fury. "You will not question the organizational principles of my Clann, stranger! I am Lai-shi, Chieftenn of the Matanue Clann (Clann of the Spirit of the Panther), and you will address me as such! Explain your presence here at once!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Lai-shi. We didn't mean to trespass--we just got lost."  
  
Lai-Shi scowled. "You will address me as Chieftenn, not by name. I require your names and your alignment. Where do you come from? Why were you in this region at all? Answer me! You have told less than you know, and I will have it all!"  
  
Realizing that Lai-shi would be satisfied only with the truth, Tea decided to put all the cards on the table. "We're not Clanners. We come from another World, and we're here to search for half of a key. Could you...tell us where we are?"  
  
Lai-shi stepped forward and looked her in the eye. "You speak the truth. Please wait a moment." She clapped her hands twice. "Raidoshu! Raidoshu, I need you!"  
  
A middle-aged woman with short brown hair entered the room, carrying a shoulder-height spear. "Yes, my lady?"  
  
Lai-shi smiled. "Raidoshu, please take these travelers to the north villa. They are not enemies, and therefore it is the honorable duty of this Clann to offer them shelter. Thank you, Raidoshu."  
  
Raidoshu bowed, as did Lai-shi. Turning to the aforementioned travelers, she said, "Come, strangers. You are in no danger here." They followed across another series of bridges to a different platform, apparently the north villa. Raidoshu bowed. "You can stay here for the night. Lai-shi may wish to speak to you in the morning, so get some sleep." 


	9. In Which Many Battles Occur

Author's Note: chapters concerning the quest for the Key of Aramas in the Pokemon World will follow the adventures of Yuugi and Benjamin, not Miaka and Rana. This is because what happens to Benjamin and Yuugi is more important to the story, and also because Miaka and Rana are already experienced trainers, meaning they'll have a fairly easy time getting their badges. Matt will not get his own chapters, but his adventures will be chronicled at the beginning of each Pokemon World Key Quest (--''') chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 9--In Which Many Battles Occur

Matt traveled quickly to the nearest Mountain League town. It was nightfall when he arrived, so he was planning on leaving quickly. Near the exit to the town, however, he saw three trainers idly chatting. Two were older trainers, and the third was only around ten years old.  
  
As Matt walked by, they called to him. "Hey, you're a new face around here," said one of the older trainers, a slim boy with stylish black hair and dark eyes. "You must be a foreigner, judging from your clothes. Planning on entering the League?"  
  
Matt smiled. "Yes, I was planning on entering. My name's Matt; I'm from Kanto."  
  
The girl nodded, considering him idly from brown eyes the same shade as her hair. "Kanto, huh? Home of the Guardian? I saw a TV program on Kanto once. We don't get many programs around here, and of course the only TV is at the Pokemon Center, but I watched the opening of the League this year. Our competition is a little different from yours, though. Instead of having all qualifying trainers battle each other until only one is left, we have trainers face the Mountain League Champion. He's really tough!"  
  
The older boy grinned. "Aw, come on, Julie. You never even got to the Champion."  
  
"We all know that you faced the Champion, Vince," Julie said in a long-suffering tone of voice before turning to Matt. "I only got seven of my badges. To face the Champion, you need all ten. This year, my little brother Sam is trying out for the League. 'Course, everyone's pretty worried, what with the kidnappings. You hear about that? Some little kid, a rookie trainer, and they got him right in broad daylight! He was only ten, as small as Sam here."  
  
Sam, who had hair and eyes just a shade darker than his older sister's, looked indignant. "I'm not that little! Anyway, I'll be okay. Mom said Julie should go with me, just to make sure."  
  
Julie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I have to go through the whole League with him. I might challenge some of the Gym Leaders again myself. In fact, if you keep going straight on the road out of town, you'll reach the first Gym. All of the Pokemon are ground-type, it's pretty easy. You have to watch out for the Leader's Kosle, though. Bert nearly wiped me out! Alex is really smart. Say--if you're going to challenge her, why don't we have a battle right now? Come on!"  
  
Matt reluctantly agreed to a battle, knowing that he had only so long to catch the Clanners. "I choose Vulpix!" The small, dark-red fox appeared, curly forelock and six, curled tails waving slightly in the light breeze.  
  
Julie grinned. "And I choose--Bill!" A large, gray mountain goat with short, straight horns appeared. "Bill is a Gruff. They're fairly common around here. Bill, use your Stomp Kick!"  
  
"Vulpix, dodge it!"  
  
"Vulpix vul!" the fire Pokemon easily leapt out of the way, landing with perfect balance.  
  
The battle was a short one. Vulpix, one of Matt's two beginning Pokemon, easily dodged Bill's attacks until it had an opening for a powerful Fire Blast, ending the battle.  
  
"Bill, return! You did a great job. Well, Matt, you're pretty tough. I don't know how you'll fare against Alex, but good luck!"  
  
"It was nice meeting all of you. Good luck, Sam. Be careful." Matt set out, following Julie's directions. The first Gym would be a piece of cake.-o-o-o-o-o-Matt journeyed quickly to the next town. It was almost midnight when he arrived, but he still knocked on the door of the Gym. A sleepy-looking Gym Leader opened the door a crack; all Matt could see were a pair of brown eyes. Apparently, it was a common eye color in the mountains.  
  
"What do you want? Some people are trying to sleep, you know!"  
  
Matt stepped back. "I was hoping for a battle."  
  
The Leader looked at him more carefully, opening the door completely as she brushing her stick-straight hair out of her sleepy eyes. "You're not from around here, are you? Well, I guess we could have one quick battle. Come on."  
  
They stepped inside the large, impressive arena. The battle floor seemed to be made of a thick, soft loam. Matt studied it for a moment, then shrugged. It made no difference; his Pokemon would be an easy match for the Leader Alex's preferred ground-types.Alex faced Matt. "All right, we each get two Pokemon. Ready? Go! Sandshrew!" A small, sandy-yellow creature resembling a large, upright rat with a scaly back appeared, polishing its digging claws on its white belly.  
  
Matt grinned. This would be even easier than he thought! "Go! Squirtle!" he said, as a small blue turtle appeared, standing upright. It had a brown shell, from which its rounded head, short limbs, and small tail poked out. Squirtle was the other of the Pokemon pair Matt had begun his first trainer quest with.  
  
Alex smirked. "Typical. Using a water-type because it has an advantage over ground-types. You foreigners are all the same. Sandshrew, use Slash!"  
  
"Squirtle, dodge it!" The turtle dove out of the way, sliding on its smooth shell.  
  
Despite the Gym Leader's ominous words, Squirtle won quickly. Sandshrew was obviously a new Pokemon for the Gym Leader, and Matt's Squirtle was experienced.  
  
Alex seemed unfazed by this setback. "For a rookie trainer getting their first badge, I might use a different Pokemon. Since you seem experienced, though, I think I'll teach you the real power of the mountains! Go! Bert!"  
  
"Kosle!" The slim brown creature looked like a large ferret or a weasel. It did not seem particularly powerful, especially against a water- type like Squirtle. Matt figured that this Pokemon would fall as easily as Sandshrew. He couldn't have been more wrong.  
  
"Squirtle, use your Hydro Blast!" Opening its mouth, Squirtle let forth a huge spout of water.  
  
Alex smiled. "Bert, dive underground!" The agile Pokemon burrowed into the loamy soil as easily as Squirtle could dive into water! "All right, Bert, make a maze of tunnels!"  
  
Matt shook off his amazement; he had underestimated this Pokemon. "Squirtle, follow it underground and flood those tunnels!"  
  
Alex shook her head. "Wrong answer, foreigner! Water won't flood in this soil. It's a special composition that allows air to travel through it, and water to soak into it, but keeps water from flooding it and turning it into quicksand!"  
  
This was bad news for Squirtle, who only succeeded in creating a muddy, water-filled hole in the middle of the arena; the tunnels were too narrows for the turtle's shell to fit through. "Squirtle, come back up and wait!"  
  
Alex shrugged. "Well, I suppose I have to end this sometime. Bert, use Headbutt!" To Matt and Squirtle's surprise, Bert popped up directly beneath Squirtle and carried out a full-force Headbutt! He then dove back underground, preparing for his next attack.  
  
Matt was dumbfounded. How could he possibly defeat this Pokemon when it had a home-field advantage? Alex had obviously designed this Gym for Pokemon like Bert. With its special floor, they had an enormous advantage. Normally, all Matt had to do for a fast or elusive Pokemon was immobilize it. But with the land on Bert's side, the battle's outcome seemed dismal. What was he supposed to do, destroy the land? ...wait! Bert was winning because he used the special soil to his advantage when tunneling. If Matt could force Bert out of the tunnels, he would have the upper hand. In order to force him out, he had to make it too difficult to tunnel. And the only way to do that...  
  
"Squirtle, keep using water attacks on the field!" Squirtle complied, squirting jets of water all over the soft ground.  
  
Alex seemed amused. "Didn't I already tell you this Gym won't flood? Admit it, there's no way for you to destroy my field!"  
  
It was finally Matt's turn to smile now. "But I don't want to destroy the field. I just want to alter it! Squirtle, keep attacking until the field is muddy! That will make it too hard for Bert to tunnel. Either he'll tire himself out trying, or we'll just have to bring down his tunnels. Squirtle, now that the field is muddy and the tunnels are weakened, use Stomp! That should collapse the tunnels!"  
  
Alex was furious. "Rats! Bert, come up! Use your Thunderbolt, now!" Crackling electricity shot toward Squirtle.  
  
Matt gaped at her. "What!?" Squirtle was shocked--literally. "Squirtle, hang in there! You just need to hang on for one more attack. You're the only one who can win this battle, Squirtle. I'm counting on you! Use your Hydro Blast now!"  
  
Squirtle forced himself to stand. Although obviously exhausted, it put forth one last effort and used Hydro Blast. Bert was knocked backward. Slowly, he struggled to stand. Just when it looked like he might make it, he collapsed.  
  
Alex frowned. "Bert, return. You did a great job. I'm proud of you. Well, foreigner, you finally figured out my secret. Throughout the Mountain League, trainers use the land to gain an advantage over their opponents. It will be hard, but I have confidence in you. Here--you've earned the Loam Badge!" She handed him a round badge of solid, dark-brown color.  
  
Matt grinned, dropping the badge into his pocket rather than pinning onto his jacket. One down, ten to go. He still had a long journey ahead of him, but he knew he could do it. Now he just had to find the Clanners before it was too late.-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Yuugi and Benjamin trekked farther into the Mountain League, hoping to reach a Gym quickly. Surprisingly, they never reached the small town Matt had visited. This was mostly because Benjamin, an experienced traveler and a half-Darkling, knew that it was dangerous to use a main road if the forces of Chaos were tracking them. They walked on and on through a seemingly endless wasteland of stone and sparse, mountain vegetation, searching for a likely-looking town. The tireless, half-Darkling Benjamin was completely unaware of human conventions such as roads, cities, and large numbers of people.  
  
Yuugi, on the other hand, felt that they needed to find a road or at least a town in order to find a Pokemon Gym. "Benjamin? Where are we?"  
  
Benjamin looked at him curiously. "In the Mountain League."  
  
"I meant where in the Mountain League," Yuugi replied patiently.  
  
Benjamin thought for a moment. "I don't know. I suppose there must be a town around here somewhere," he said, waving vaguely toward the forbidding peaks in the distance.  
  
"Benjamin, if we're going to earn ten of these badge things, we have to find a town soon! Let's see..." Yuugi took out his Pokedex. He examined it carefully, then opened it and pushed several of the buttons. He was looking for a map, but didn't know how to find one.  
  
Benjamin, mean while, looked at the stars; they were unlike the stars of his own World, but he had visited the Pokemon World enough times to find directions with them. Quietly consulting Bikaymon, he determined that they should set out southwest.  
  
As he was deciding this, Yuugi finally found the map function of the Pokedex and deciphered that the nearest town was far south of the Jagged Pass. Still wondering what the Jagged Pass was, and how they might find it, he dropped the Pokedex, causing it slam against a rock--hard. It struggled to maintain power for a moment, then sparked and shut down.  
  
At precisely that moment, Benjamin looked up. "If you're done with your Pokedex, we should go south west. The nearest town is only a few minutes walk."  
  
Yuugi groaned. It would be a long day.-o-o-o-o-o-Benjamin had been correct; the nearest town, and also the first Gym, were close by. It was already late when they reached Loamhenge City, so Benjamin and Yuugi were unable to battle the Gym Leader. Instead, they headed to the Pokemon Center, a large building that had facilities for healing Pokemon and places for trainers and their Pokemon to rest and recooperate. All Pokemon Centers were equipped with trained staff; most had a nurse called Nurse Joy. Although few people realized it, this name was actually a job title, given in honor of one of the first and most promonent Pokemon Nurses. It was pure myth that all the Nurse Joys of a given League looked alike, whatever their names might suggest. Yuugi, of course, knew none of this.  
  
The nurse in charge of the Loamhenge Pokemon Center, seeing two foreign trainers walk in, was unable to restrain herself. "Where do you two come from? You certainly aren't from around here," she asked, blue eyes alight with curioustity.  
  
Yuugi turned. "We're...travelers. From far away. We're here to challenge the Gym Leader."  
  
Benjamin was nonplussed. "That was the best explanation you could think of?" Bikaymon said nothing; if he remained silent, most people would mistake him for some kind of Pokemon.  
  
The nurse nodded. "Well, welcome to Mountain Leagues. I'm Nurse Joy. If you're going to challenge Alex, you'll have to wait until morning. She hates being woken up in the middle of the night!" Seeing Luminaras, who had decided to come out of his Pokeball, she smiled. "I see you're an experienced trainer; it takes a while for an Eevee to evolve into Umbreon. Have you participated in a League competition before?"  
  
Yuugi completely blanked out. "Um...uh..."  
  
Benjamin, who knew slightly more about the Pokemon World than Yuugi, leaped to the rescue. "He's never challenged a League before. We come from the Equinox Islands, from Spring Island. I trained there, although I caught some of my...Pokemon...elsewhere." Nurse Joy seemed satisfied with this answer. "Come on, Yuugi; we should get out of here."  
  
The nurse was surprised. "If you're going to challenge Alex in the morning, why don't you just stay here for the night? It certainly would save you time."  
  
Benjamin, who was automatically suspicious of anyone who offered help until they proved themselves trustworthy, was going to disagree, but Yuugi told him it would seem suspicious to refuse. Benjamin probably would have seemed suspicious no matter what he did, but Yuugi helped him act more normally, although he was unable to convince Benjamin that he didn't have to sleep on the floor. Benjamin insisted that it was more tactically advantageous in an emergency, and Yuugi decided to let it go.-o-o-o-o-o-Benjamin, having lived in Dark World all his life, surprised Nurse Joy by waking up at three o'clock in the morning, waiting two hours, then waking Yuugi as well. As Benjamin dragged Yuugi out the door to face the Gym Leader ("I thought you said we were in a hurry," Benjamin told him), she stopped them.  
  
"Where are you two going so early? Alex probably isn't even awake yet!"  
  
Benjamin shrugged. "Then we will wake her up."  
  
Nurse Joy stared at him like he was crazy. "You'll be sorry you did that. If you're really determined to challenge her, here's a tip: use the land. Here in the Mountains, type isn't all that matters. You have to remember the area you're battling in. Good luck!"Outside, Benjamin and Yuugi watched the tail end of the sunrise. Benjamin sighed, knowing that he would probably never see a sunrise like this in his own dying World, where the sun had grown dim and veiled.  
  
While his friend was lost in thought, Yuugi stretched. "You know, I could have slept for another hour..."  
Benjamin, ignoring what he considered to be a very human comment, pondered the battle ahead. "Use the land...use the land..."  
  
Yuugi perked up. "Hey, that sounds a little bit like the field power bonuses from the Duelist Kingdom Duel Monsters tournament! Maybe this isn't as hard as I thought it would be."  
  
Benjamin shook his head. "I think you'll find that battling with real monsters is very different from a card game. For one thing, it's not just numbers. You must consider the strengths and weaknesses of an individual Pokemon. Also, you must remember the battle techniques they've learned. Your only Pokemon is Luminaras, and that does limit your strategy, but you still need to know his capabilities. You don't know anything about him!"  
  
Yuugi shrugged. "I know that Vice taught him how to fight, and that means Luminaras will fight to the end. I know he can do this."  
  
Benjamin smiled, an unusual expression on his normally solemn face. "Do you want to battle first, or should I?"-o-o-o-o-o-Alex actually lived in the Pokemon Gym, on the floor above the battle arena. When she heard someone pounding on her door, she was annoyed. When the pounding continued, she decided to go tell whoever was outside to go away and let her sleep. Getting up, she stalked off, muttering angrily to herself.  
  
Outside, Yuugi and Benjamin waited for Alex to open the door. When she did, however, they were slightly disappointed. A short, brown-haired girl, not much older than they were, stood before them, still wearing her striped pajamas.  
  
"I don't care who you are or what you want, leave me alone and stop pounding on my door before you break it!"  
  
Benjamin stepped forward, his gray eyes shifting to a darker shade, like twin chips of flint. "We're here to challenge you for a battle. Are you ready?"  
  
Alex scowled. "What? This early in the morning? You must be out of your mind!"  
  
Benjamin shrugged. "I thought that Gym Leaders were skilled enough to battle at any time. Very well. We'll come back later."  
  
Alex was angry now. "Hey, wait a minute! Are you suggesting that I'm not a skilled Gym Leader? Come back here right now and battle me! I'll show you what it means to be skilled! Which one of you wants to go first?"  
  
Bikaymon smiled slightly on Benjamin's shoulder, where he was dozing. He had known goading the Gym Leader into a battle would work. Humans were often very predictable.  
  
"I'll fight first," Benjamin said calmly.  
  
Alex gestured to the door. "If you want an official Gym Battle, we're going to have it in my stadium. After you, challengers."  
  
Benjamin and Yuugi followed Alex into the arena. It was time to battle!-o-o-o-o-o-Alex strode into the arena. "Okay, rookies, the rules are simple. We get two Pokemon each, and the first trainer to faint all the opponent's Pokemon wins! If you win, you get your first badge. If you lose, too bad! Are you ready?"  
  
Benjamin nodded; it was his habit to say things in few or no words.  
  
Alex grinned. "Well, let's get started! You look fairly experienced, so why don't I cut to the chase? I choose--Bert!"  
  
Benjamin surveyed the weasel-like Pokemon. Ordinarily, he would have used Taru against a ground-type, but in this case...  
  
"Kura, I need your help for this battle."  
  
"Cheirira!" A tree Pokemon slightly taller than Benjamin, similar to a cherry-blossom tree in its dark bark, slender branches, and pale pink flowers, popped out its Pokeball. At the tree's base, roots spread off in two clusters, forming foot-like appendages that could be used for movement when necessary.  
  
Alex looked at Kura cautiously. What was this unusual creature? "Bert, dive underground!"  
  
Benjamin smiled. "Now, Kura!"  
  
Alex was baffled. He hadn't given any obvious verbal commands to his Pokemon, so she had no way of knowing what would come next. Little did she know that Benjamin, a child of Dark World, was using a clever strategy. He knew from experience that, in combat, one must never reveal one's plan to the enemy. He and his Pokemon had trained together to react to any situation, and to work as a team without obvious directions; it was necessary if they were to survive in Dark World. Alex would regret underestimating this opponent.  
  
"Bert, get ready to dodge whatever attack that tree thing uses!"  
  
To her surprise, however, Kura simply buried her spidery roots in the ground. She didn't have long to wait for Benjamin's next command. "Kura, drain the soil!" He turned to Alex. "Your Pokemon is finished. Kura, like any plant, has the ability to drain nutrients from soil. In this case, however, her attack allows her to drain the energy of an underground opponent."  
  
Alex was aghast. "Bert, return! Now what do I do? No underground Pokemon can face that thing! Hmm...Sandslash, I choose you!" A yellowish Pokemon, standing on two legs with arms ending in long, metalic-looking claws, came out of its Pokeball. Its head was reminecent of a rat's, and soft-looking brown spikes, similar to a hedgehog's, sprouted from its back. It was the evolution of Sandshrew.  
  
To Alex and Yuugi's surprise, Benjamin returned his Pokemon as well. "Kura, thank you. For this battle, I need Taru's help."   
The muscular, dark-blue creature, barely reaching Benjamin's thigh as he stood upright on his short, sturdy legs, opened his large, crocodile-like mouth in a toothy grin. A row of long red spines ran down his back, and his belly was white except for two black patches on his chest. Taru looked similar to a Totodile, the tiny crocodile Pokemon, but was actually a much rarer species- -Feraladile. It was a special evolution that appeared only occasionally on Spring Isle of the Equinox Island, and had greater endurance and strength than an oridinary Totodile. Taru crouch slightly, swishing his short tail back and forth. He was ready for action.  
  
"With a Pokemon specially adapted to conditions such as those simulated in your battle arena, Taru would have been a less effective battler. But now...he can attack with full strength."  
  
Alex smiled grimly. This foreigner was far too confident. She would teach him how a real Pokemon trainer battled! "Sandslash, use Slash attack!"  
  
Benjamin calmly watched as Taru easily jumped out of the way, chortling.  
  
"What's wrong? Slash again!"  
  
Taru evaded Sandslash again. Benjamin shrugged. "You can attack as many times as you like. You're only tiring your Pokemon. Taru is fast enough to dodge your strikes. Taru, let's finish this. Use Hydro Jet!"  
  
"Dile!" Puffing out its chest, Taru swung his head down, shooting a powerful blast of water from his mouth and fainting Sandslash.  
  
Alex was furious. "WHAT!? How did you do that? I hate to admit it, but you are truly powerful. Here--you've earned you badge. Now...are you going to challenge me too, or are you too scared?"  
  
Yuugi stepped forward. "I'm ready...I hope..."Alex now faced off against Yuugi. "Same rules, okay? Two Pokemon each, no time limit. Ready?"  
  
Yuugi thought for a second. "But I only have one Pokemon..."  
  
Alex realized that, although the dark-haired boy was skilled, this strange-looking foreigner was only a rookie trainer. "Okay, I'll go easy on you. Seeing as you're a rookie and all...one each. Go! Diglett!" A small brown mole appeared on the field, immediatly burying all but its neck/head in the ground. Now, it looked like a straight rod with a rounded top, two small, weak eyes, and a large red nose.  
  
Yuugi looked at Luminaras. "Are you ready, Luminaras?"  
  
"Umbre!" the slender dark fox Pokemon said enthusiastically.  
  
"Okay, attack!"  
  
Alex smiled. "You moron. Diglett, dive underground!"  
  
Luminaras looked confused. "Bre?"  
  
Alex couldn't help laughing when she realized that this kid's Pokemon knew more about battling than he did. "Ha! You're hopeless. Diglett, use Dig attack!" Diglett popped out of the ground, slamming into Luminaras! "Okay, Diglett, dive down again! As long as Diglett is underground, you can't hit him!"  
  
Benjamin knew that his friend was in trouble, and tried to give him some advise. Bikaymon, now awake, would have liked to do so as well, but couldn't risk talking. "Yuugi! If Diglett keeps diving underground, it means that it will keep using Dig!"  
  
At first, Yuugi found this advice even more confusing than the battle itself. But suddenly, he realized... _In order to use Dig, that mole thing has to come out of the ground. And when it stops hiding, I can attack it. It's just like my Magical Hats card!_ "Okay, Luminaras, wait!"  
  
Alex was slightly unnerved by the patiently waiting Umbreon. "Can he have some strategy in mind? Hmm...nah, he doesn't even know that Pokemon's moves. Diglett, use Dig!"  
  
Yuugi, knowing none of Luminaras' attack moves, paused. Luckily for him, Luminaras was experienced and innovative. Knowing Yuugi's plan, he attacked despite his trainer's hesitation.  
  
"Umbre!" The Pokemon's eyes glowed as a wave of energy shot forward, slamming into Diglett and knocking it silly.  
  
Benjamin smiled very slightly, glad that Yuugi had finally figured out what to do. "Luminaras knows Psychic, and Diglett is weak to a Special move like that! If he and Yuugi can do that again, they may be able to win!"  
  
Alex realized this at the same moment. "We'll have to come up with another strategy, Diglett! Hmm...maybe Earthquake would work. Diglett, use Earthquake!" The mole Pokemon brought its clawed hands out of the ground, slamming them down and creating a shock wave that moved toward Luminaras at an alarming rate.  
  
Yuugi, realizing that this could be the end for Luminaras, shouted, "Luminaras...um...jump!" the black fox cleverly leapt over the shock wave, leaving the ground broken up and Luminaras unharmed.  
  
Alex was shocked. "What? How can Umbreon do that? That's not a real Pokemon move! Diglett, use Slash!"  
  
Yuugi had no idea what to do next. "Luminaras...uh...um...do something, fast!" he shouted in desperation.  
  
Luminaras was growing exasperated. If Yuugi didn't know what to do, he would just have to do it himself. "Bre umbre!"  
  
Luminaras leaped over Diglett, then slammed it from behind with his Body Slam move. With its low Defense, Diglett was finished. It fell over, stunned, until Alex returned it.  
  
Alex was very surprised. "I can't believe that you beat me! Here's your Loam Badge, but I still think you're not much of a trainer. You don't even know your Pokemon's moves! You'll never make it unless you catch some other Pokemon, and learn about their abilities. Your Umbreon is smarter than you are! Now get going. I'm still sleepy..." she said, yawning.Benjamin and Yuugi left the Gym just as the other inhabitants of Loamhenge City were beginning to awaken. Benjamin looked toward the road.  
  
"That's the first badge. Yuugi, Alex was right. You must learn Luminaras' abilities. The only way to battle effectively to fight as a team. Come on; we must leave. We have a long trip ahead of us."  
  
The two walked off, not really knowing where they were headed. They only wanted to find the next town, and win another badge, so that they could win their half of the Key before it was too late. 


	10. Shou lao's Blessing

Chapter 10--Shou-lao's Blessing  
  
Tea woke up before sunrise the next morning. She felt like a prisoner on execution day. What would Lai-shi say to them? What would she do to them? Tea shivered. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She shrieked and spun around. Raidoshu, looking bemused, stood behind her.  
  
"My apologies, traveler. I did not mean to startle you. You're certainly awake early. What troubles you?"  
  
Tea sat down on the cot she had been given. "Do you think Lai-shi will help us? We have to find something right away. It's very important."  
  
Raidoshu smiled. "Lai-shi is a good and wise leader. She will help you if your quest is just. Lai-shi has been our leader for many years, and I know her well. She can be short-tempered, but she has the best interests of our Clann in mind. Our alignment with the Chinoki Clann has improved since she agreed to shelter them until they can successfully repair their homes--the huts you saw below these trees were constructed for them. Recent attacks have caused much trouble for the Clanners, and we must band together if we are to survive. Lai-shi knows this. Do not fear her."  
  
Tea thought about this. She and her friends must have been sent to the Clanner World...had Vice known this? Or had he only known that half of the Key of Aramas was here?  
"Raidoshu, why is Lai-shi so young? In my World, leaders are usually older..."  
  
Raidoshu sighed. "Some people think that Lai-shi is young, but she is not. She is nearly thirty, and while that is still young for a leader, she is no child. She is often mistaken for one because of her height. Lai- shi, as you may have noticed, is...short. Even among our Clann, their are those who do not think she is a fitting leader. They do not see that age and height make no difference to a person's character. Lai-shi is a great leader, and she has kept our Clann safe from much danger. She's just sensitive about her height."  
  
Tea grinned, thinking of her own vertically-challenged friend, Yuugi. "I know someone like that. Raidoshu...have you ever heard of something called the Key of Aramas? I mean, is it here, in this World? My friends and I promised we would find half of it."  
  
Raidoshu pulled a map out of a small cabinet. "You see this map? I cannot give it to you--it would be of little help in any case--but it does show much of our World. We are here, by the great forest. To find the Key, you must go to the mountains. In the past, it was as simple as that. If you were of pure heart, the keepers of the Key would allow you to enter the Shrine of the Key. All was well until one day, an evil creature overpowered the keepers and stole the Key. In the end, only half of it was recovered. This half still resides in the shrine, but the door is sealed. It can only be opened by the two Gate Seals. I don't know where they are now; they were given to two Clanns for safekeeping. You must find the Seals and bring them to the Shrine of the Key. I advise that you go first to the dwellings of the Raasha Clann--Clann of the Bearers of the Light. They held one of the Seals, and they are gifted with strong protective magic. Good luck, stranger. May you be fortunate in your quest. Now, wake your friends, and I will take you to Lai-shi."  
  
Some time later, after Tea had succeed in waking (and keeping awake) her friends, they followed Raidoshu back to Lai-shi's throne room. Tea explained what she had learned from Raidoshu concerning the Key as they walked.  
  
"Well, at least we know what we're supposed to do now," Tea concluded, trying to be optimistic.  
  
"Of course we do. All we have to do is wander around until we find two Gate Seals, whatever they are, then go to the mountains and figure out what we're supposed to do with them. Of course we know what to do. You idiot! We don't even know where the Gate Seals are!" Kaiba was not in the best of moods, having spent the night in a cramped treehouse and now finding out that he had to go find two missing objects with Joey, Tea, and Tristan.  
  
"At least we know we're supposed to be looking for them," Tristan said, supporting Tea. "It's a start."  
  
"I say we could just break inta the Shrine like dose otha' people did," Joey said sagely, thinking Kaiba was right about how hard it would be to find the Gate Seals but refusing to agree with him.  
  
"Weren't you listening? The Seals make that impossible," Tea said tiredly; no matter which way they looked at it, this was a problem.  
  
Raidoshu turned around just in time to prevent an argument. "Shh! We have arrived. Speak politely to Lai-shi, travelers. If you are fortunate, she may help you." With that, Raidoshu shoved them forward.  
  
Lai-shi rose. "Well, travelers? I am told you seek the Key of Aramas, the Key which has been locked away. There is little I can do to help you, but I wish you luck. You are a sign of hope for all Clanns. To aid you, I give you this. It is a powerful Sign, one which the Clanns respect. Show this to a Clanner, and they may help you. Here, travelers. Go with blessing of my Clann."  
  
Lai-shi held out a mysterious symbol, wrought of a beautiful, silvery metal. It hung on a small chain. They all stared at it for a minute, not sure what to do.  
  
Finally, Joey nudged Tea. "You take it, Tea."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yeah. The rest of us'd look silly wearin' a necklace anyway."  
  
"You are such an idiot sometimes," Tea muttered as she took the Sign from Lai-shi, placing it around her neck. The Clanner Chieftenn bowed to them as they left the hall.

-o-o-o-o-o-As the four travelers reached the ground and began to walk towards the mountains, they were stopped by a young child with, as could be expected, Clanner symbols on his face. These were different from the symbols of Lai-shi's Clann; there was a swirl like a gust of wind painted on his cheek and a lance painted on his forehead. They weren't real tattoos, probably because he was so young--a tattoo would become disfigured if the person it was on grew. Tea correctly guessed that this must be a member of the visiting Clann Raidoshu had spoken of.  
  
The boy smiled. "Come with me. Shou-lao has been waiting for your arrival."  
  
Mystified, they followed him. They soon reached a stand of sod and grass huts constructed under the trees of Lai-shi's people. Sitting in front of one such dwelling was a strange, old woman sat cross-legged in front of a fire. She had many symbols on her face, a staff in her hand, and two covered cages next to her.  
"Come," she whispered, "I have much to tell you, and time is short..."  
  
They nervously approached.  
  
"Yes...yes........you are the seekers of the Key. You must find it for another, but for a purpose that you do not know. You are known to me, travelers. I know your names, your hopes, your fears...everything can be read by looking into your eyes. I am gifted with the Sight. My Clann, Chinoki (Clann of the Masters of the Wind), produces many seers. I am Shou- lao, Chieftenn. You must find the Key, not only to save your friend's life, but also for another reason...it will find its use in another's hands...they may use it for a task long prevented, but why? That cannot be Seen. I know much about the Key, for my people were its traditional keepers. You yourselves will find the Key of little use; it can be used only by one of a pure heart. Your quest, your struggle, is important; it is my wish to aid you. There is little I can do now, but I will give you a gift. If I cannot guide you myself, I will send two allies to direct you. Do not underestimate their worth..."  
  
The Clanner boy who had led to Shou-lao stepped forward, removing the coverings from the two cages by the Chieftenn's feet.  
  
"Here. They will guide you, if you listen to them with your hearts."  
  
They all watched as the contents of the wicker cages were brought forth. The Clanner boy stepped forward, holding two creatures, each large enough to reach about to a normal human's knees.  
  
Kaiba glanced down. "What good are two rabbits going to be?" he asked scornfully.  
  
Shou-lao laughed softly. "Do not think ill of my creatures, Seto Kaiba. Nor any of you others...I know all of your names, and I have seen into your hearts...I know much about you that you do not...The hare is the animal of my tribe. Here; take this one, Tea Gardner. This other is for you, Seto Kaiba. Go now. They will help you more than you can know............." She lapsed into silence.  
  
Joey shivered as they walked away, Tea and Kaiba now holding their hares. "Dat was creepy! How did she know your names? It seems impossible..."  
  
They walked off slowly, still pondering Shou-lao's mysterious words. To be used in another's hands? A purpose they did not know? A task long prevented? It was certainly strange.  
  
Tea looked at her hare. It was white-gray, with clear, stormy-blue eyes. In a noble effort of friendliness, she turned to Kaiba. "I think I'll name my hare Windpaw. What are going to call yours?"  
  
Kaiba glared at her. "Why should I call it anything? It's just a rabbit." 


	11. The Makers of the Dead

Author's note: in reference to Elocue, it looks like the creature that gives you the electricity power in "Kirby: Crystal Shards" for N64. For all non-gamers, try to figure it out from my description. Remember, it's like an onion or a fat, short teardrop! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 11--The Makers of the Dead  
  
Matt checked Martin's map for the next town. As he set off, he thought about his recent Gym battle. He had used his knowledge of type advantages in the battle, expecting them to apply to the mountains as well as his own home, Kanto. To his surprise, he had discovered that knowledge of the land was as important as knowledge of an opponent's Pokemon in the Mountain League. He shrugged off his thoughtful mood. His Pokemon would come through for him; he had great faith in them.  
  
Matt decided to let his Pokemon out for some fresh air while he walked. Caterpie, the foot-long green catapillar with a tri-pointed red crest on its head, never entered a Pokeball, and was already snoozing in his backpack. Vulpix bounded alongside Matt as he and Squirtle, who was sitting on Matt's shoulder, played cards on top of his backpack.  
  
"Hmm...nah, go fish."  
  
At that moment, Matt heard a shout. He and his Pokemon hurried to find the source of the disturbance. Someone was in trouble! Looking over the top of a ridge, he saw a young trainer, cornered by two black-cloaked figures.  
  
"Give up, child! You cannot resist our power!"  
  
The trainer scowled. "You leave me and my Pokemon alone! I choose you--Sandshrew!"  
  
The strangers, whom Matt was sure were Clanners, laughed. "Very well. If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get. I summon-- Rohkum!" A large, black wolf appeared in a burst of purple-black-red light that came from an amulet around the Clanner's neck.  
  
Matt quickly descended the ledge to watch the battle. "Martin, record everything--in detail." Martin immediately began recording the battle, and data on the stranger's monster.  
  
The young trainer and his inexperienced Sandshrew were quickly defeated. As the boy returned his Pokemon, his attackers closed in. Before they could harm the child, however, Matt interrupted.  
  
"Why don't you fight me instead of attacking rookie trainers, coward? Show me your face!"  
  
One of the cloaked figures turned. "I follow my orders, you interfering fool. You call me a coward? Ha! I shall show you my face!" He threw back his hood.  
  
Matt gasped. His face was covered with Clanner tattoos to resemble a skull, with marks around the eyes, nose, and mouth, as well as along his temples. It was a frightening image. Seeing his surprise, the Clanner sneered.  
  
"You seem surprised, questioner of my honor. I am of Skull Clann-- Clann of the Makers of the Dead! I serve the Overlord, and he has ordered me to seek small children in this World." Matt thought for a moment that he saw something flicker in the Clanner's eyes as he said that, but it was soon gone. Glancing behind him, the Clanner saw that the boy had wisely run for his life. He scowled. "You have allowed my quarry to escape! I must away--I have sworn to fulfill my mission, and my honor is my life!"  
  
As he prepared to leave, Matt stepped forward. "You're not going anywhere. I challenge you to a battle, Clanner! Go--Hurricane!" An enormous bird Pokemon from the Mystery Leagues erupted from its Pokeball.  
  
The Clanner frowned, then whistled, bringing his own monster to him. "Rohkum, attack!"  
  
Matt grinned. "Hurricane, let's get him!"  
  
As Hurricane's powerful Ice Storm rushed toward the wolf, the Clanner shouted, "I summon--Necro Shield!" Again, the amulet lit up, and Hurricane's attack was absorbed by a wall of black light! Looking at his opponent, Matt saw that he held five thin pieces of paper in his hand. They reminded him of something--but what? He had no time to wonder, however.  
  
The wolf leaped at Hurricane, slashing it with powerful claws and ripping at its throat with its razor-sharp fangs. "Hurricane, return! Let's see what these can do!" From a secret pocket of his jacket, Matt pulled a stack of almost impossibly thin crystal sheets. Holding one up, he was about to use it when the Clanner pulled another piece of paper from his hand.  
  
"You fool! You are no Summoner--you have no magic to stop me! I summon--Magic Block!"  
  
The crystal chip grew white-hot as Matt struggled to hold on to it. Finally, it shot out of his hand with the force of the Magic Block.  
  
The Clanner looked disdainfully at him. "Do not attempt to Summon unless you are prepared! I have no more time to waste here. Farewell!"   
  
Matt slowly picked up the crystal chip, his hand still stinging. "That was certainly strange," he muttered to Caterpie. "What was he talking about?" Shrugging, he continued his journey. Matt knew that he had to earn ten badges to help Yuugi and Benjamin defeat the Mountain Champion--before it was too late.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-Yuugi and Benjamin continued walking. They had to reach the next town to win another badge before it was too late. Yuugi, however, was doubtful. How could he possibly earn ten badges when he didn't know anything about the creatures called Pokemon? He was also a little worried about his yami--the spirit, having been forced to remain out of the Millennium Puzzle and away from him for an unusually long period of time, had been too worn out to even talk to him for the past few days. Yuugi shook his head, knowing that there was nothing he could do. Instead, he decided to focus on another problem.  
  
"Benjamin, I still don't understand this. What exactly do Pokemon trainers do?"  
  
In a case of the blind leading the blind, Benjamin, knowing little more than Yuugi about Pokemon and Pokemon trainers, began to explain. "Pokemon trainers are people who train Pokemon to use different battle techniques and become stronger. They battle other trainers to prove who is the strongest and most skilled, and gain battling experience. In way, it's rather like your card game. There is one important difference: Pokemon battling isn't about numbers or facts. No matter how much you know about a Pokemon or an opponent, they can still surprise you. In your game, monsters have a set attack and defense. They also have a particular set of abilities. A Pokemon's abilities are determined by how well you train it.  
The other difference is moves. In Duel Monsters, you use magic and trap cards to help your monsters. In Pokemon, you teach Pokemon different techniques, or moves, to use in battle. There are many different moves, and they aren't all offensive. Support moves can be very similar to magic cards.  
To be a good trainer, you have to catch lots of different Pokemon. If you see a new kind Pokemon, you're supposed to fight it until it's weak, then capture it in a Pokeball. A Pokemon trainer is allowed to carry up to six Pokemon with them at one time, so any others they capture are stored via a computer system at the trainer's home League laboratory. That's why all Leagues have one. The reason a trainer needs many different Pokemon is because different Pokemon have different strengths. However, in order to be a good trainer, you must raise and teach them all, and treat them well. That's really all there is to it."  
  
Yuugi was about to ask more questions when a small, onion-shaped creature about the size of Benjamin's head bounced into view. Its bottom half was blue, with a jagged line separating the green upper half. Atop its point was an antennae, topped with a round, yellow ball. It seemed to be unaware of the two travelers as it bounced along, smiling benignly.  
  
"What is that thing?" Yuugi whispered.  
  
Benjamin looked at it. "It's a Pokemon."  
  
Yuugi sighed. "I know that! I meant, what kind of Pokemon is it, and what should we do?"  
  
Benjamin shrugged. "Pokemon trainers send out their Pokemon to fight wild ones so they can become more experienced. I've seen them do it."  
  
Yuugi sent out Luminaras. "What do I do now?"  
  
Benjamin gave him a Pokeball. "First, you have to attack it. When it's weak, throw this Pokeball at it."  
  
Yuugi stared at him. "Are you sure?"  
  
Benjamin nodded. "I've seen Pokemon trainers do this. You wanted to know how to be a Pokemon trainer; this is how they do it."  
  
Waving aside his misgivings, Yuugi attacked the Pokemon. "Luminaras, attack it!"  
  
"Umbre?"  
  
Benjamin whispered, "Use your Psychic again."  
  
"Umbre!" As before, Luminaras' eyes glowed and a wave of energy shot toward the opponent.  
  
The Pokemon finally seemed to notice them. "Elocue!" it shrieked as it began to bounce away.  
By that time, however, it was too late. The creature, presumably an Elocue, shrieked as Luminaras' powerful Psychic attack slammed into it. It nearly collapsed when the smoke cleared.  
  
Benjamin nodded; it was weak enough. "Now throw the Pokeball at it. That's how trainers do it."  
  
Yuugi threw the Pokeball without question. Benjamin knew what he was talking about...didn't he? Elocue shrieked one last time as it was sucked into the Pokeball and promptly captured.  
  
Yuugi was shocked by its sudden disappearance. "What happened to it!?"  
  
Benjamin picked up the Pokeball and gave it to Yuugi. "It was captured. Pokemon are stored inside of Pokeballs; I'm not exactly sure how it works, but their data is stored on PC, and they can be reconstructed when you open the Pokeball. It's much the same as a Summoning, but Pokeballs work by technology, not magic. Come on; you should get the Pokemon to a Pokemon Center."  
  
Yuugi stared at the Pokeball in his hand. "I didn't hurt it, did I?"  
  
Benjamin shrugged again. "Not much; it was only knocked unconcious. It should be fine. Remember, Yuugi--now that you've caught that Pokemon, it's yours. You can return it to its Pokeball and take it with you, and it is legally considered your dependant. That means that it will probably obey you, but you have to take care of it. It's far more complex than it seems."  
  
Yuugi walked along in silence. So a Pokemon belonged to a trainer once it was captured...was that really right? Was it unjust to force a Pokemon into service to a trainer? Yuugi asked Benjamin, mistakenly believing that he would have a definite answer. Yuugi should have remembered that Benjamin, bound as he was by honor, would have little to say in support of Pokemon trainers.  
  
"Benjamin? Is it...wrong to capture Pokemon? Aren't they unhappy being forced to serve a trainer?"  
  
Benjamin had no easy answer to this question. "Pokemon don't have to obey trainers, although they usually do, whether because they become attached to the trainer or because they respect their power. Still, it is true that Pokemon are taken away from their normal lives, and often never return to their homes once they travel with a trainer. Some Pokemon may resent this at first; others may not mind. It depends on the individual.  
Since Pokemon are sentient, it could be considered slavery to train them, but it may not be. After all, the Pokemon is becoming stronger and learning, so a trainer could be considered to be more like a teacher or a guide. Many trainers think of their Pokemon as their friends, albiet friends that they met through battle.  
I wouldn't really know how Pokemon feel about being captured; Taru and Kura chose to come with me. I suppose it's different for me than for most trainers. I would never capture a Pokemon, simply because they would have to leave their World and be put in grave danger if they came with me. I couldn't force any living creature to do that."  
  
Benjamin did not intend to give Yuugi a guilt complex; he was merely stating his own beliefs. Yuugi, however, realized that he too would force a creature to leave its World by capturing it, and it would be in danger because of the Overlord if it came with him. He and Benjamin continued walking along the barren, stony path. Whether it was right or wrong, he had captured the Elocue, and he had a feeling he would need it to earn ten badges and defeat the Champion.-o-o-o-o-o-At last, Benjamin saw lights ahead. Entering the town, they saw that most of the buildings were constructed from slate-colored brick, a mineral obviously rich in the surrounding area. The entire town seemed rock-solid. Even the Pokemon center was a bluish-gray building, hewn out of a natural rock outcropping. Inside, it was illuminated by lanterns strung along the ceiling.  
  
The nurse smiled at the two young trainers. She couldn't help chuckling when Yuugi asked her if she could repair his damaged Pokedex. "It's not badly damaged; I should have it up and running again in no time. So, what brings you to Stone Town?"  
  
Benjamin quickly explained that they were looking for the Pokemon Gym. Nurse Joy frowned. "Are you sure you want to challenge Boris? He's a very powerful trainer. He and his rock-types overpower many rookies. If you're really sure about challenging him, let me give you a little advice. His Pokemon are at home in his Gym. Don't expect type advantages alone to win your match."  
  
Thanking her, they left. Yuugi and Benjamin approached the Gym. It was a large, square-shaped building, made of lustrous obsidian, which gleamed brightly in the noon sun. The double doors were made of granite, smoothed by harsh mountain winds.  
  
Just as they were about to enter, Yuugi and Benjamin heard an angry shout. "Hey, you! Give back my Pokemon!" It was the Gym Leader! Followed by a sandy-haired trainer holding a single Pokeball, he raced forward.  
  
Two ominous, dark-cloaked figures stood before them, one taller than the other. "You have no hope of defeating us, elder. We have taken your Pokemon, and now we will take our true target--the child!"  
  
Before they could reach the young trainer, however, Yuugi and Benjamin came to the rescue. The Gym leader looked at them skeptically. "They've taken my Pokemon, or I would fight myself, and Derek here has only one Pokemon, injured in our battle. Are you sure you can beat them?"  
  
Benjamin nodded. "Are you ready, Yuugi? Stop, you thieves! We challenge you!"  
  
The Clanners, for Clanners they were, threw back their hoods. All but Benjamin gasped at their horrible, skull-like tattoos. They both stared at Yuugi.  
  
"It's him!" the taller one said in amazement.  
  
The other turned on him ferociously. "So you challenge us to a battle, you and your scrawny friend? Very well. We accept! I Summon-- Daishi!" Like the other Clanners, this one, a young boy with the dark hair characteristic of Skull Clann, wore an amulet around his neck, which glowed purple-black-red as his monster appeared.  
  
The other Clanner, an older, more experienced fighter, grinned. "And I Summon--Kieran!" he said, his amuler also glowing.  
  
Two enormous black wolves, virtually identical to those Matt had battled earlier that day, appeared before them; Skull Clann seemed to favor this type of monster.  
  
Yuugi reached into his pocket. "They already know who I am, so I may as well use my Deck."  
  
Yuugi's yami, having finally recovered somewhat from the loss of energy he had suffered, observed the battle from within Yuugi's mind. _Yuugi, Summon Silverfang. He will be an even match for these creatures.  
  
_ Yuugi nodded, glad that his yami was back on his feet, figuratively speaking. "Right! I Summon--Silverfang!" The Duel Monsters card in his hand lit up with pure, bright white light, and a large, silver-furred wolf appeared, baring its fangs.  
  
Benjamin glared at the Clanners dangerously. "In that case, I choose Timber!" Another wolf, this one thin with shaggy, mottled fur, appeared, looking equally ferocious.  
  
"I'll summon the Ruby Moon to boost Silverfang's attack power by adding to his energy," Yuugi said, thinking fast to convert his Duel Monster card effects from the card game to Summoning so he knew which ones to use. "Because my teammate has also chosen to battle with a wolf, it helps him as well. Now, Silverfang--attack!"  
  
Benjamin joined the attack. "Timber, go from the left and protect Silverfang's back!"  
  
The Clanners laughed at these efforts. "You have used the Ruby Moon, little Summoner," the older one said, cold eyes glinting under his grayed hair. "I shall choose--Moonshadow! You will see its effects soon enough, and this battle will be over! Now, Kieran--attack the silver wolf!"  
  
The Clanners were a good team, but not as good as Yuugi and Benjamin. "Timber, deflect their attack!"  
  
While Benjamin distracted the Clanners, Yuugi searched for another card to play.  
  
_ What about the Spellbinding Circle?_ Yami suggested.  
  
Yuugi shook his head. "No--I have other plans for that card. I summon--Swords of Revealing Light! Now your monsters are paralyzed, and we can defeat them! Silverfang, attack!"  
  
The younger Clanner looked worried, but the older one simply shook his head, laughing. "Hahahaha! You forgot about my Moonshadow. It negates your magic--the magic of your paralyzing swords. We are free to attack!"  
  
To their surprise however, Yuugi seemed unconcerned. "I thought Moonshadow might be a magic cancellation card, since you didn't use it to increase your monsters' power. I'm afraid one of your monsters won't be moving even with your Moonshadow card. I activate--the Spellbinding Circle! I choose Kieran as its target! Now, Silverfang--attack!" Yuugi had cleverly saved his trap card, which was easier to activate quickly than a magic card.  
  
The Clanners knew they were no match for this formidable Summoner. "You have won a battle. Do not think you have won the war!" With that, they ran off, quickly disappearing into the wilderness of the mountains.  
  
Yuugi gathered up the Pokeballs the two Skull Clanners had left behind. "Here, Boris. These Pokeballs belong to you."  
  
The gray-haired man's scarred face brightened in a broad grin. "I'm much obliged, young trainers. Now that I have my Pokemon back, I suppose you want to challenge me to a battle. Well, I'm all yours. Let's go!"  
  
Yuugi and Benjamin followed Boris into the Gym. It was time to battle for their second badge! 


	12. Trouble Brewing

Chapter 12--Trouble Brewing  
  
Far from their friends in the Pokemon World, four other travelers faced a dilemma of their own. After speaking to Shou-lao, Tea had decided to ask Windpaw and the yet unnamed hare to lead her and her companions to the Clann of the Bearers of the Light. At first, all was well. Following the hares, they left behind the fragrant, windswept grasslands of Shou- lao's Clann and brilliantly the green forests of Lai-shi's Clann, moving into harsher, more brutal territory. Their path became rocky and uneven, with little evidence of any passage, human, Clanner, or otherwise. At night, the wind howled its fury at the steadfast travelers, driving them ever backward as they sought to reach the Raasha Clann. They soon reached a barren, inhospitable stretch of icy foothills--they were near the mountains now.  
  
On the third day since leaving Lai-shi and Shou-lao, they unknowingly entered no-man's land. This disputed territory was as harsh and infertile as the rest of the rocky foothills, but it marked the boundary between two opposing Clanns and several neutral ones' territories. It was a stretch several yards wide, and it was unwritten law that none cross it. Alas, the would-be questors knew nothing of this. They marched stoically forward into the frigid, icy unknown. Beneath the slate-gray, snow-filled sky, four companions far from home were walking--or rather, attempting to walk-- into danger.  
  
Windpaw stopped, anxiously sniffing the air. There was death and danger on the wind. Enemies were approaching, but they had not yet sensed the presence of the two hares and their masters. Soon they would see them. The reek of decaying flesh came closer. Soon there would be no escape. Soon they would have to face the approaching danger head on. They were coming. They were coming!  
  
Joey gave an exasperated sigh, his breath freezing as soon as it left his mouth. "Aw, come on! Can't we keep moving? The longer we stand here, the more likely it is that my fingers are gonna fall off!"  
  
Tea looked at her friends. They were all freezing, shivering in the wind as they struggled to keep warm despite the dropping temperature. Whatever they had expected from this journey, it was not this. None of them were wearing warm clothing or winter coats. The snow was heavy and wet, and they would soon be soaked with freezing water. "I don't know what's wrong. It's like Windpaw senses danger or something, but what?"  
  
Watching icicles form on the hares' whiskers, Kaiba sneered. "It looks like Shou-lao's rabbits aren't as useful as she predicted. That crazy fortune teller is going to get us killed."  
  
Joey, always ready for a fight and in a bad mood because of the miserable weather, turned on him. "Knock it off! Dey got us dis far, didn' they?"  
  
Kaiba smiled patronizingly at him. "They got us this far? And where is this exactly? It seems to me that all they've done is get us caught in a blizzard."  
  
They glared at each other, but before further arguments could be made, Tea looked up, hearing something. "Wait--what's that? Do you hear that sound?"  
  
They all fell silent, listening. What they heard was not comforting. A high, eerie wail echoed off the rocks as the wind swept it past them. It was followed by more terrible, shrieking calls, too ghostly and unnatural to be the wind.  
  
"What was that?" Tea asked fearfully, shivering. Windpaw's ears stood straight up. "Whatever it was, it's coming this way!"  
  
Out of sight behind a stand of jagged rocks, a lone figure gave one more piercing cry. "That should do it," she muttered. "If she hasn't heard by now, she's as deaf as a post. I think I'll go introduce myself to our guests while we wait. Hahahahaha!" Her malicious, grating laughter echoed and reechoed around her, more frightening than her shrieking calls could ever be.  
  
The four travelers waited with baited breath. There was no point in running; they had no idea where their unseen foe lurked. They could only stand in the deepening snow, wondering when the caller would strike. Luckily for their nerves, although unluckily for one of their number, they did not have long to wait.  
  
Out of nowhere, a lithe, agile stranger leaped from the top of a rock pillar to stand before them. She scowled at the sight of the hares. "So. Shou-lao has chosen to violate the unwritten law of the Clanns. You will now pay the price for her mistake!"  
  
They could tell from the voice that the stranger was female. She wore a dark, swirling cape that fell just below her waist, and a hood that concealed her face and the tattoos that would identify her Clann. On her feet were heavy boots, obviously designed for such harsh climes. With a mocking laugh, she threw back her hood. Underneath, she had several peculiar tattoos, giving no hint as to her allegiance. There was an odd symbol on her left cheek constructed of many lines, carefully drawn to resemble bones. On her forehead was a black, smoky starburst design. The hem of her cape was decorated with similar images.  
  
"I challenge the masters of these hares to a battle! You will pay for your disobedience to our laws, humans! Are you surprised that I know your species? I can see from your faces that you are no Clanners. You are sniveling, honorless worms, as are all humans! Peace with humans--that is a fool's notion! I demand that you face me in combat, humans! Now!"  
  
Tea and Kaiba, the aforementioned masters of the hares, looked uncertain. Physical combat was hopeless; even if they had not been freezing cold, they would have been no match for the strong and agile Clanner. There was only one hope.  
  
Kaiba, knowing that the only way to force the Clanner into a battle in which they had the advantage was to goad her into it, stepped forward. "Why should we bother fighting you? As far as I'm concerned, you really aren't worth the effort," he said, and for once the others were grateful that he was habitually insulting and condecending.  
  
The Clanner turned purple with rage. "Do you insult my skill and my honor? Name your terms of combat, human! You will face me!"  
  
Tea joined in, seeing that the Clanner would agree to anything to prove her honor. "We are Summoners. I demand that you face us in a Summon battle!"  
  
For a moment, surprise registered on the Clanner's face. Then, to their horror, she began to laugh. "Hahahaha! You would challenge me to a Summon battle, humans? And I thought that you disgusting creatures had no magic at all! Very well. I agree to your terms, on one condition--you may battle me together, but you must use only one creature each. Those creatures will be the hares Shou-lao has dishonorably given you. You will see how mighty the Masters of the Dead are, pathetic humans! You will learn to fear the power of Necro Clann!"  
  
As if on cue, a large dragon, as black as death itself, dropped from the sky to land screaming next to its master. Seeing the hopeless expressions on the two would-be combatants' faces, she shook her head with a pitying smile. "I see you like my pet, Shadowhawk. She will not battle you--I save her might for true challenges! No, I will be using another creature. I too am a Summoner of sorts, rats. You will use nothing but your hares, and I will use nothing but this--Karanas!"  
  
She pulled a small, wrapped bundle out of the pack on her back and layed it on the ground. The Clanner then threw back her head, and noises that sounded like screaming and hissing came out of her mouth. At first they thought she was having some kind of fit, but they realized it must have something to do wither her Summoning when a burst of black light surrounded the bundle on the ground, and out of it, a terrible creature arose.  
  
It was like to a hyena in form, but constructed of bones and rotting flesh. It was a dead creature, somehow animate after death. It turned to look at them with eyes long rotted away and snarled, ready to attack.  
  
The Clanner laughed again. "I see you are impressed with my skill. I, Kiendra, am gifted with the powerful magic of the Necro Clann. We are not called the Masters of the Dead for nothing, human scum. Behold! I am a demon Summoner, and I can animate dead matter! I give life to the slain, movement to dead flesh, sight to the sightless! My mighty beast is unstoppable! Hahahaha!"  
  
Tea and Kaiba looked despairingly at their long-dead foe. What would they do now?  
  
Kiendra smiled icily at her chosen opponents. "What's the matter, little humans? Not afraid, are we? Don't tell me you're backing out already. If you had the audacity to challenge me, the least you could do is find the courage to look me in the eyes and fight, instead of standing in the snow shivering like the mangy curs you are. Well? I'm waiting!"  
  
Tea swallowed hard. This battle seemed hopeless from the start, but there was no other choice. The Clanner would surely kill them all if they refused to battle. She glanced at Kaiba. How could they possibly defeat the undead monster with two hares, one of which didn't even have a name? She would have felt more confident battling with anyone else. Why had Shou- lao given the hare to him? There was no time to lament over past decisions. It was time to battle for their lives--a battle they seemed likely to lose.  
  
"Windpaw and I are ready to face you, Kiendra. We're not afraid."  
  
The Clanner scowled at her and turned to her other chosen foe. "And you? Are you ready to face me as well? Think fast, human--I grow impatient."  
  
Kaiba stepped forward. "I'm ready to face you, Clanner," he said disdainfully, although underneath his cold exterior, he felt hopeless. Tea looked at the hare that had followed him forward. It was ready to fight, ready to die in defense of its master if necessary. This inexplicable loyalty, coupled with the ridiculous picture made by four children and two hares standing in a blizzard to fight for their lives made Kiendra laugh.  
  
"Hahaha! I've faced opponents twice as strong as you--not that it would be hard to find an enemy tougher than you. A half-starved swamp rat could defeat you without even stretching! All right, weaklings. You have foolishly challenged me to a battle. Let's see if you last even five minutes before Karanas and I leave your lifeless corpses to the vultures! Hahahahaha!"  
  
Karanas immediately moved in for an attack. Teeth bared in a voiceless snarl, it leapt forward, propelled by muscle and sinew unseen. Windpaw, caught off guard, barely dodged its razor-sharp fangs as it landed, spraying snow everywhere.  
  
A deadly game of hide-and-seek began, the hyena always seeking, the hares always fleeing its waiting jaws. All the while, Kiendra laughed madly as she spurred her nightmarish creature on. The humans, growing colder and more defeated at every moment, had little hope. Could a hare possibly escape the hyena, let alone defeat it?  
  
Perhaps Kiendra was right, and a single hare had no chance of victory. Perhaps she was right; it was of little consequence. For not one, but two hares fought this battle. The unnamed creature, bred on the grasslands and prairies of Shou-lao's people, was strong and agile, a warrior born. Growing rage went unseen by either set of combatants--until the Karanas struck a blow.  
  
Blood painted the snow crimson as one hare, Windpaw, failed to outmaneuver the hyena. The unnamed hare, full of battle madness and fury, leapt upon the rotting bones of Karanas, struggling madly as the hyena's body, unable to hold together under such harsh blows, was ripped to pieces. From the center of the carnage rose a shrieking, shadowy figure, a demon controlled by Kiendra and forced to animate the dead flesh of their foe.  
  
Kiendra, shocked and angry at her defeat, screamed to the winds. Leaping upon her dragon as she released her terrifying servant, she gave one final parting shot before vanishing into the sky. "I will a make you pay for this, human! I swear it so!"  
  
With that, she disappeared. The four victors stood staring after their departed and vanquished foe before setting off for warmer climes and better fortune. As they walked away, Kaiba looked thoughtfully at his hare, which had won such an incredible victory. _I think I'll call him...Frith. _


	13. On the Road Again

Chapter 13--On the Road Again  
  
Matt had reached cold, snowy peaks early that morning. Not bothered by the steep, rugged mountains or the cold, he stumped ahead cheerfully, seeking a new town and another Gym. Matt had unknowingly bypassed the second Gym completely, and was now traveling toward the third.  
  
He looked at the jagged, far-off peaks of the mountains all around him. Enjoying the beauty of the wintry day, Matt gazed at the crisp mounds of snow and treacherous, icy slopes around him. As the snow worsened to blizzard conditions, he smiled and trekked on, hoping to reach the next town around noon.  
  
Being the amazing, super-human person that he was, Matt fulfilled his intention and strode into a small, ice-bound village just after lunchtime. Walking into the Pokemon Center, he saw only a few trainers, all wearing warm clothing of a rough, heavy material. He saw that, although the thermostat was kept high, it was still barely a comfortable temperature in the small, cozy room. It was certainly cold!  
  
The Nurse Joy smiled at the sight of a new arrival. "Hello! You seem a little out-of-place here in Ice Falls. You must not come from the mountains. I suppose you're a trainer, hmm? Come to challenge Gillian? He's an excellent trainer, you know. Since you're not from around here, I'll give you little tip. I see you have a Vulpix. You may be tempted to use it in your match, since it's a fire-type and Gillian uses ice-types, but don't do it. Trust me--you'll be better off using a water or ice-type yourself. Just a bit of advice, trainer. Oh, my! You have a Caterpie! I must say, I don't see too many of them around here. You see, we don't have many bug-types in the mountains, and there are no Caterpies at all. He may come in handy for your match with Gillian. Good luck, and enjoy your visit to the mountains!"  
  
Thanking the kindly nurse for her excellent advice, Matt departed. Stepping outside, he immediately recognized the Gym. It was a fitting tribute to the climate of Ice Falls, made of a shiny, ice-like material that shimmered in the sunlight. Tall, pointed spires rose into the air like icicles on a winter morn. Standing before the doors, Matt shivered. The structure was far too familiar for his liking. On the doors was a fancy engraving of a snowflake. Opening them, Matt stepped into the shadowy interior.  
  
Inside, the Gym was unlit and pitch-black. Matt wondered if Gillian might not be present when a voice came from the back of the room. Stepping into the pool of light by the doorway, Gillian spoke.  
"You must be a new challenger. Choose three Pokemon and get ready to battle!"  
  
The Gym Leader was young, perhaps nineteen, with striking features in a fine-boned face. His dark hair shadowed his pale, ice-blue eyes, and he looked ready to battle. Matt carefully selected three Pokeballs. Still unable to see the field, he was forced to choose blindly. In the end, he selected Squirtle, Hurricane, and Caterpie. As he stepped into the arena, the lights flashed on. Matt gasped in awe and admiration.  
  
The battle arena was a spectacular display of ice and snow. On one side of the field, a small pool of frigid water was bordered by drifts of soft, powdery snow. An ice field lay on the other side, dotted with frozen stalagmites. The center of the field contained large snow drifts and chill winds. It was an ice Pokemon paradise.  
  
Gillian smiled at the amazement on Matt's face. "You like my Gym? My Pokemon and I worked hard to build it. I designed it to be not only a battle arena, but a home for them. My Pokemon are comfortable in this icy habitat. But enough chatter; let us begin. For my first Pokemon, I choose- -Siblizzia!" A beautiful tiger with thick, white fur, black stripes, and blue eyes the same shade as her master's appeared, tail twitching inquisitvely. "I captured my Siblizzia on a trip to Winter Isle. Long hours of training have made it one of my strongest Pokemon! All right, Matt--hit me with your best!"  
  
Smiling, Matt drew out a single Pokeball. "In that case, I choose-- Squirtle!" The tiny turtle Pokemon appeared with a cry.  
  
Gillian nodded to Siblizzia. "Let's show Squirtle why your kind are masters of the cold!"  
  
Siblizzia crouched down, stalking slowly closer to Squirtle, her wide eyes taking in every detail of the arena. Siblizza's large, padded paws made almost no sound as they supported her weight in the thick snow.  
  
Matt grinned cockily. "Squirtle, dodge when it attacks you."  
  
Squirtle crouched down too as it prepared to leap out of the way. To their surprise, however, Gillian did not order an attack.  
  
"Siblizzia, use Arctic Skies!"  
  
Immediately, a fierce blizzard started. Matt found it difficult to see, and neither he nor Squirtle was prepared for Siblizzia's Body Slam. Squirtle was knocked backward towards the ice field. Matt, realizing this, decided that Squirtle might have the advantage on the ice.  
  
"Squirtle, head to the ice field!"  
  
Gillian shook his head. "Bad move, Matt. Squirtle may have been floundering in the snow, but he doesn't stand a chance on the ice. Siblizzia, duck and dodge!"  
  
Uses the stalagmites dotting the arena to push off from, Siblizzia easily ran circles around poor Squirtle, who quickly became dizzy and confused. Finally, he slammed into one of the pillars while chasing Siblizzia and was knocked out.  
  
Grimacing, Matt chose another Pokeball. Hurricane erupted onto the battlefield with a fierce cry. With its aerial advantage, it quickly exhausted Siblizzia.  
  
"Siblizzia, return. You have done well; rest now. A cat on the ground, but a bird in the air, Matt. I found this Pokemon on one of my journeys to the Mystery Leagues. High in the mountains, I found a small nest. I took one of the five eggs, cared for it until it hatched, and raised it well. Now, I send my beloved ice bird into battle. Go-- Articuno!" A beautiful, ice-blue bird with a white-feathered belly and long, graceful wings appeared, clacking its short beak. A small crest of feathers sprouted from its forehead, and its tail was incredibly long, nearly twice the size of its body and very flowing.  
  
Matt gasped in amazement. The legendary ice bird Pokemon gave a piercing cry and dove toward Hurricane. An aerial dogfight followed, the two birds swooping and diving at each other, now colliding, now slashing with their talons. Finally, both collapsed.  
  
"Articuno, return! Matt, you have fought well. For my last Pokemon, I choose my first Pokemon! I met Silver when I was very young. As a boy, I became lost in the mountains one day. I would surely have frozen to death if not for Silver, who guided me home. Since that day, I have loved ice Pokemon, and have traveled the world to find them. I choose--Silver!" A delicate, silver-furred fox appeared before Matt, waving its brush tail and tipping its sharp muzzle sideways inquisitively.  
  
Smiling, Matt also chose his last Pokeball. "Your best for my best, Gillian. Caterpie may not have been my first Pokemon, but he is certainly one of my most powerful. Let's do this, Caterpie!"  
  
The bright green caterpillar Pokemon bounded out from Matt's backpack, to Gillian's interest. He had seen a Caterpie only once before, but had he seen a thousand Caterpies, he would not have found one like this.  
  
"Silver, Quick Attack!"  
  
Leaping into the air, Silver slammed Caterpie into a deep snow drift. Silence fell. Just Gillian as was about to declare Caterpie unable to battle, an enormous, moth-like Pokemon burst forth, shaking snow off its translucent wings. It was Locustod! Matt's Caterpie, an amazing special evolution Pokemon, was like nothing Gillian had ever seen. Caterpie was capable of temporarily evolving to a much more powerful form, then returning to its first form either when it chose to or when it ran out of energy.  
  
"Locustod, use Psybeam!" A beam of iridecent, multicolored energy shot towards Silver.  
  
Gillian clenched his fists. "Silver, use Ice Beam!" The fox Pokemon opened its mouth, and a beam of freezing air shot forth.  
  
The two powerful attacks met explosively, sending clouds of snow and smoke over the field and the combatants. When the dust settled, Silver had fainted. Locustod flapped on for a few feet, then dropped as well, ready for a long rest as it reverted back to Caterpie form.  
  
Gillian shook Matt's hand, smiling in admiration. "You have truly earned this Arctic Badge, Matt," he said as he handed Matt a clear badge fashioned to look like ice, in the shape of a many-pointed star. "You are a powerful and true-hearted trainer, and you will go far in our League. Good luck to you, Matt. The road to your next badge is in the west."  
  
Matt set out after healing his Pokemon. Gillian had been a difficult opponent, but he was once again on his way. Having no idea of the traditional order Mountain League badges are earned in, he set off for the closest Gym--the fifth badge. Matt would earn his badges, no matter what order they came in. He never broke a promise to a friend.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
In another town, Yuugi and Benjamin were also challenging a Gym Leader. Boris, leader of Stone Town and holder of the Slate Badge, grinned crookedly.  
  
"Two each, kids. Now, who wants to go first?" Benjamin stepped forward. Boris's grin broadened. "In that case, I choose--Pinnacre!" Pinnacre was a large, stalactite-shaped mass of stone with two eerie, unblinking eyes.  
  
Benjamin looked unconcerned. "Taru." Feraladile bounded forward.  
  
"Dile dile!"  
  
Benjamin smiled at it in a rare expression of affection. "Ready? Good! Don't forget to look up."  
  
With that, the battle began. "Pinnacre, use Spike Smash!" Taru nimbly dodged this attack, retaliating with Hydro Jet. In response, Pinnacre headed to the ceiling, just as Benjamin had predicted. Looking like an ordinary stalactite, it began to spin.  
  
"All right, Pinnacre--use Drill Slam!" Taru, dodging this as well, ended his battle with another Hydro Jet.  
  
Boris looked frustrated. "All right, then--Graveler, attack now!" he said, as he threw forth another Pokeball. What looked like an enourmous, round, dark-gray boulder with legs, arms, and a small head of a lighter shade of gray appeared. It actually looked rather turtle-like, if turtles had boulders for shells.  
  
Taru laughed uproariously before defeating Graveler with one well- placed Hydro Jet. Benjamin nonchalantly collected his triangular-shaped, slate gray Slate Badge from the astounded Boris before whispering some last- minute advice to Yuugi.  
  
"All of your Pokemon are at a disadvantage against rock-types, although the field may affect that in one case. Yuugi, remember--support moves are like magic cards. Never think that battle is only attacking."  
  
Yuugi stepped forward. "Somehow, I have a feeling this isn't going to be as easy as Benjamin's battle was..."  
  
Boris selected two more Pokeballs. "Let's get this battle started! I choose--Sudowoodo!" A slim brown tree with a face, round balls rather than leaves at the end of its branches, and branches coming from its sides ending in "hands" with fingers made of three balls. Its roots spread into two bunches, making leg-like appendages.  
  
Yuugi was confused. Sudowoodo appeared to be a tree, not a rock. Realizing that he wouldn't have known what to do no matter what it was, he sent out Luminaras. "Luminaras, attack!"  
  
Boris stared at him. Was it possible that this trainer didn't even know his Pokemon's moves? The dark-haired boy had been so skilled--could this smaller child really be only a rookie? Boris had little time to wonder. Luminaras slammed into Sudowoodo.  
  
"Umbre!"  
  
Benjamin, like Boris, was bewildered. "Yuugi, Sudowoodo is a rock! Don't use physical attacks!" Turning to his Pokemon, he whispered, "He's such a skilled duelist and a powerful Summoner--how can he be such a poor Pokemon trainer?"  
  
Yuugi thought about Benjamin's advice, as did his yami.  
  
_ Luminaras used some type of mental attack in its first battle. Try that.  
  
_ "Luminaras, do that thing you did last time we battled!"  
  
From the sidelines, Benjamin helpfully called, "It's called Psychic!"  
  
Luminaras did indeed use Psychic, although it had little affect; Sudowoodo had great stamina.  
  
"Sudowoodo, use Earthquake!"  
  
Yuugi was at a loss. He had no idea what was best to do, or even what was possible to do. Luckily, Luminaras was a much better battler than Yuugi. He slammed into Sudowoodo, knocking them both into the path of the Earthquake attack. When the dust settled, both Pokemon had fainted.  
  
Boris shrugged. His next Pokemon would easily defeat this poor, pathetic rookie trainer. "I choose--Onix!" A giant gray rock-snake, made up of many boulders of increasing size from tail to head, appeared, the horn on its head nearly brushing the ceiling even though Boris' Gym was made to accomodate such a massive creature.  
  
Yuugi was speechless with amazement and despair as he stared at the gargantuan rock-snake Pokemon. How could the Elocue he had decided to name Spark, his only remaining Pokemon, defeat this monster? Knowing this was the end, he sent out Spark.  
  
Boris started to laugh. Although he tried to control himself, he laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks. "Hahahahahaha!!! Are--are you sure you won't just surrender? Your Pokemon...its attacks can't even hurt Onix!"  
  
Yuugi sighed. Not only did he not know what attacks Spark knew, he now learned that they were all apparently useless.  
  
_ Don't give up now! It's worth trying, even if it is hopeless. We have overcome more difficult circumstances than these in the past.  
  
_ "But that was Duel Monsters! I don't know anything about Spark, and I have no way to find out what he can do."  
  
_ If Kuribo could defeat the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Spark can defeat this creature.  
_  
Yuugi took a deep breath. "Spark, attack!"  
  
Spark blinked. "Elocue?" Unlike Luminaras, an experienced battler, Spark had no idea what Yuugi was trying to tell it to do.  
  
Benjamin, seeing trouble, yelled, "Yuugi, use your Pokedex!"  
  
Yuugi pulled the Pokedex out of his pocket. "Of course! Pokedex, what moves does Spark know?"  
  
The electronic voice of the Pokedex began to elaborate. "Elocue's moves 1--Thundershock."  
  
Further analysis was cut short, as Boris grew impatient with Yuugi's lack of knowledge and bizarre conversation with himself. "Onix, use Body Slam!"  
  
Spark barely dodged Onix as it came hurtling by. "Spark, use Thundershock!" Spark did so, but it was to no avail. Onix was completely unaffected by the electric-type move. Yuugi, not knowing this, told Spark to continue, also to no avail.  
  
At last, Yuugi consulted the Pokedex again. "Pokedex, why isn't Spark's attack working?"  
  
The Pokedex beeped. "Electric moves do not affect ground-type Pokemon. Onix is half ground-type."  
  
This was even more confusing to Yuugi. "Half ground-type? Why doesn't Thundershock affect Onix? That doesn't make any sense!" Yuugi fell silent for a moment. Then, he suddenly remembered. "Bandit Keith used machine-type monsters during Duelist Kingdom because they weren't affected by magical attacks! This is the same thing! I have to use physical attacks to defeat Onix! What physical attack moves does Spark know?"  
  
_ What if it doesn't know any?  
_  
"It has to! Doesn't it?"  
  
_ Try the Pokedex.  
_  
"Pokedex, what other moves does Spark know?"  
  
The Pokedex opened once more. "Elocue's moves 2--Agility."  
  
Yuugi looked panicked. "What else!?"  
  
The Pokedex made an annoyed-sounding bleep. "Elocue currently knows no other moves."  
  
Yuugi groaned. "Now what am I going to do? Agility doesn't sound like an attack. If it doesn't damage Onix, this battle is hopeless! Spark, use your Agility!"  
  
Spark began to move quickly. Soon, it was moving faster than the eye could see clearly. Yuugi bit his lip, trying to come with a strategy, but he already felt defeated in his heart, making it much more difficult.  
  
Yuugi's yami sensed his counterpart's despair. _Don't give up yet! There must be some way that Agility can defeat this creature.  
  
_ "How? It doesn't do any damage. Speed can't injure Onix!"  
  
_ Never give up, Yuugi--there are always other options!_ the yami couldn't think of any at the moment, but he was confident that they must exist...right?  
  
Yuugi thought about this. His yami was right--they couldn't give up while Vice was counting on them. As he watched the battle, he suddenly noticed something. "Wait--maybe agility can defeat Onyx!"  
  
While Yuugi was contemplating the uses of Agility, Onix was chasing furiously after Spark. Because of Spark's enhanced speed, however, it repeatedly missed, crashing instead into the ceiling, the walls, and the floor.  
  
"If I can force Onix to hit the walls, it may do damage to itself! Benjamin was right; support moves are like magic cards! Spark, stay still for a second!"  
  
Spark paused in front of the wall. Onix came zooming forward, ready to crush Spark, but at the last possible second, Spark sped away with the help of Agility. At that point, the battle was won. Onix, after repeatedly slamming itself into the walls, finally reared up and prepared to squash Spark with a downward plunge. When its target disappeared, Onix roared with shock as its head became trapped in the floor.  
  
Boris quickly returned Onix, smiling in spite of himself. "I took you for a rookie trainer at first, but I can see you've got real potential! Here--take your Slate Badge. You earned it, even if you are crazy!"  
  
"Uh...thanks, I think," Yuugi said, smiling uncertainly. With that, he and Benjamin exited the Gym.

-o-o-o-o-o-As Yuugi and Benjamin left Stone Town, Yuugi looked troubled. "Why did he think I was crazy?"  
  
_Because you kept talking to yourself.  
_  
"But I wasn't talking to myself," Yuugi said, surprised. "I was talking to you!" Yuugi paused for a moment. "Yami...thanks. I couldn't have done that without you."  
  
_ It was your idea_, his yami replied modestly. _Hey...Yuugi...  
_  
"What is it?"  
  
_ You're always calling me Yami. But, that isn't my name.  
_  
"I'm sorry...I needed to call you something, not just "spirit" all the time, and since you're kind of a dark spirit...yami means darkness...I won't if you don't want me to."  
  
_ No, it's okay. I kinda like that name, actually.  
_  
"Oh. Well...okay then," Yuugi said mildly, not really sure where the spirit was going with this.  
  
_ Um...I've been thinking...maybe...I could have that name? I mean, since I don't have one. I don't remember the one I used to have, if I had one, and I like Yami, so I just thought...you know...  
  
_ "Of course, Yami," Yuugi said, smiling. Yuugi had always felt like yami was the spirit's name since that was how he addressed him, but thinking about it now, he realized that not having a real name would probably make you unhappy after a while. So, if the spirit wanted Yami to be his name, Yuugi was okay with that. "If it makes you happy."  
  
_....thanks._  
  
Benjamin smiled slightly. Before meeting Yuugi, he had smiled very rarely; Darkling culture did not encourage smiling or any expression of joy or affection. Being around Yuugi, however, had brought out some of Benjamin's more human characteristics. Or maybe it just makes me happy, Benjamin thought to himself. It wasn't that he hadn't been happy before-- he just hadn't learned to show it. _I guess it's true,_ Benjamin thought, _that saying Yuugi's people have...what is it again? That's it...'you learn something new every day.'  
_  
Whatever challenges lay ahead, he and Yuugi would overcome them. Little did he know that an unexpected challenge would bring trouble of the hardest kind--the past. 


	14. Just a Rabbit

Chapter 14--Just a Rabbit  
  
As the four questors journeyed farther, still under the guidance of Windpaw and the recently designated Frith, they left the frozen wasteland of Necro Clann behind. In fact, it grew wet and foggy, just as it was in the beginning of their travels. Visibility was limited, and their spirits were low. Everyone wondered at the end of their journey, if indeed they would ever reach it. They had no idea how long it would take to find the two Gate Seals, or how long it would take to deliver them to the Shrine of the Key. In fact, they had little knowledge of their mission in general. To any observer, it would seem that there could not have been four less likely heroes.  
  
"How long do ya think dis will take?" Joey asked idly as they trekked through the wildneress. He had finally gotten his second wind, so he felt up to a conversation just now.  
  
"How should I know? The Raasha Clann could be anywhere. We just have to keep going," Tristan replied dispiritedly; the monotonous journey was starting to get to him.  
  
"We'll never get anywhere following these rabbits," Kaiba said, pessimistic out of habit; he too was beginning to tire, but he refused to show it in front "the geeks."  
  
"That's not true! And they're hares, not rabbits!" Tea snapped back. The trip had somewhat dampaned her usually friendly, cheerful nature, and it took all her restraint not to smack Kaiba right then.  
  
"Whatever. Just tell me, do you think this is gonna take more than two weeks?" Joey said, bringing them back to the original point.  
  
"Maybe. Why do you ask?" Tristan said through gritted teeth, wishing Joey would take a hint and shut up. They were such close friends it sometimes felt like they were brothers, but that didn't stop Joey from being annoying.  
  
"Because I'm hoping this will be over before the end of Spring Break," Joey replied, apparently not noticing that he was getting on his friend's nerves.  
  
"Even if it isn't, we could always find an excuse for being missing. The principle even believed that Benjamin was an exchange student from a war-torn nation in Africa," Tea said optimistically. Even these travel conditions couldn't bother her enough to stop her from speaking civilly to her friends.  
  
"Oh, man! I was hoping to do some math over Spring Break. I'm gonna fail that class..." Joey groaned.  
  
"How can you be failing math? That's pathetic," Kaiba scoffed, thinking of his own near-perfect average--he was taking a more advanced class, Algebra.  
  
"Yeah, we all know you're not failing anything, so shut up, okay!?" Joey snapped in annoyance.  
  
"Come on, you must've failed something at least once in your life," Tristan said incredulously to Kaiba, not willing to believe that even the genius CEO was _that _intelligent.  
  
"The only class I'm failing in is Art," Kaiba said smugly; all of his other classes were straight "A"s.  
  
All argumentation ceased as he said this, and the other three travelers stopped dead, causing Kaiba to stop as well as they stared at him.  
  
"You're failing ART!? How?" Tea finally sputtered, in shock.  
  
"I'm just not a good artist, okay!?" Kaiba said defensively; he hated drawing with a passion, mostly because it was something you couldn't simply study to improve at.  
  
There was a long pause. Then, in unspoken agreement, they began walking again.  
  
"So, what you're saying is that this could take more than two weeks, right?" Joey asked after a pause.  
  
"Oh, shut up," Tristan finally said, to the relief of the others.  
  
Far above them, a silent figure watched, struggling to stay aloft in the still air. Laughing at the four children's aimless bickering, the sinister figure descended, grinning in malicious anticipation.  
  
Revenge would be sweet.  
  
Suddenly, Frith and Windpaw stopped dead. The four companions were eerily reminded of their encounter with Kiendra. A mocking laugh echoed around them. To their horror, Kiendra herself stepped forward. Beside her was Shadowhawk, her enormous black dragon. It was like a nightmare out of hell. They gaped in silence for a moment.  
  
Then, either very bravely or very foolishly, and perhaps both, Joey stepped forward, saying, "What did ya come for, Kiendra? Didn' you learn anythin' from last time?"  
  
Kiendra looked disdainfully at him. "I have returned to avenge my honor. I underestimated the power of my opponents in our last battle; I shall not go easy on you this time! Step forward, coward!"  
  
They were all nonplussed. "Man, some people just don' know when ta give up! Look, Kiendra--I'll fight you!" Joey said, very bravely since power like that Kiendra had displayed last time she fought them terrified him.  
  
Kiendra laughed harshly. "Ha! I came not to challenge a worthless human like you, but to avenge myself upon the foe who defeated me in our last battle. I will fight the one who wields the dragon magic!" Seeing their confusion, she impatiently pointed at her chosen adversary. "You. I did not see it during our first battle, but you wield powerful draconic magic. I challenge you, human! Let us battle!"  
  
Only Tea, remembering Vice's long-ago words, knew whom the Clanner wished to battle. When they first met, Vice had told them what he saw in each of them.   
_Only three of you really has much magic. Of course, you can all Summon, but that doesn't take too much power. Obviously, Yuugi has magic--he's the Guardian. His yami has it for the same reason (none of them had known then who he was talking about). Joey, you have ordinary Summoning ability, not particularly powerful...Tristan, you could probably Summon if you absolutely had to, but it might exhaust you. Tea, you have basic protection magic...possibly a little healing, and certainly a touch of Seer. Yes, you do--just not much. And of course you probably already knew that you had draconic magic.  
  
_ Yes, Tea still remembered who he had seen dragon magic in. They all followed Kiendra's gaze.  
  
"Me?" Kaiba said.  
  
Kiendra laughed uproariously. "Didn't you know? Your magic is weak, but I still must challenge you to a battle. It was your hare that defeated the demon Karanas, and so I now must face you in a Summon battle once more. But this time, I shall use two creatures! Do you truly think you have the power to defeat two of my monsters? Very well. I demand that you use Shou- lao's traitorous hare again, but I grant that you may also use one creature of your own choosing--if you even have another!"  
  
Glancing at each other, Tea, Tristan, and Joey grinned. They might not like Kaiba much, but he was certainly better than the Necro Clanner-- they were on his side for once. Kiendra was right; Kaiba did have dragon magic. Not only that, he had a dragon to match.  
  
Tea, Tristan, and Joey a few yards backwards. They had no desire to get caught in the middle of a battle between dragons.  
  
Kiendra smiled cockily. "Shadowhawk I choose as my first warrior. You will never defeat her power with your little rabbit!"  
  
The three observers laughed quietly. Kiendra would regret saying that. "But I'm not going to fight your dragon with a little rabbit. Because I Summon--Faith!"  
  
Faith was not a large dragon. Faith was not a particularly strong or agile dragon. Faith, a beautiful white dragon with ice-blue eyes like her master's and a graceful figure, was barely larger than a large SUV. Kiendra saw only a young, inexperienced dragon before here. She did not know that, even as she and Shadowhawk were connected, so this dragon and her master were also linked. In this battle, neither strength nor speed would decide the victor.   
Both dragons took off, the spines running down their backs catching the air as their bat-like wings pumped hard to get them in the air. Diving, dodging, and twisting around each other in midair, the two dragons bit, slashed, and struck in any way possible, battling their hardest for those they were bonded to--the only people they would willing call master. Tea, Tristan, and Joey found it hard to follow what was happening, or understand why, after only ten minutes of aerial battle, both combatants Desummoned their creatures.  
  
Kiendra scowled. "You have won only one battle. Without your dragon, you have no hope of further victory!" Kiendra stood straight, taking a deep breath as she focused herself. "You have seen the might of my demon control. Now shall you witness the true power of necromancy!"  
  
Kiendra began to chant in a hideous, guttural language, making pulling motions over the ground with her hands. At first, it seemed that nothing was happening. Then, to their horror, a decayed, fleshless hand forced itself upwards. Soon, an entire human corpse was pulling itself out of the earth, its empty eye sockets glaring at them as its lipless mouth grinned. In a moment of black evil, Kiendra had forced the dead to rise in animate control, doing her bidding in the light of day where they should never have come.

Frith, Kaiba's only remaining monster, bared its oddly sharp teeth at the swaying corpse. It was a hopeless battle as far as Kaiba was concerned, but Frith, born and bred by the Chinoki Clann, knew that nothing is hopeless until you have lost the will to fight. In a truly inspiring battle, one brave hare faced a hideous being that should have lain under the earth, a dead body and nothing more.  
  
Kiendra glared at her foes. "Do you now see the might of Necro Clann? My necromancy is powerful, allowing me to animate and command corpses! None can stand against it!"  
  
No one spoke. Finally, Frith hopped forward. Very small indeed did he seem, standing in defiance before that great and evil being, torn from its grave into a restless awakening that was no awakening at all by unclean hands; yet in spite of this, he seemed noble and proud, and prepared to die fighting against such irreverence for both life and death. Kiendra was certain of victory, but looking into the eyes of that hare, her own heart quailed.  
  
In a spectacular moment of the triumph of good over evil, Frith leaped forward, and with the strength of his heart, the magic that bound sinew to will was broken, causing the dead man to fall to pieces, no longer filled with evil, necromantic magic.  
  
Kiendra shrieked, and her cry was terrible and merciless. Unwilling to accept defeat, she yanked from her belt a small throwing knife. Drawing back her hand, she prepared to fling it at Frith, who, having used most of his strength disrupting powerful energy, did not notice her. Indeed, she thought that none would see as she treacherously prepared to murder her victorious opponent. But Kiendra's plan did not go unmarked. Frith's master saw her grip the knife, and suddenly realized her plan.  
  
In that moment, everything went awry. Windpaw sat up, sniffing the air. The Raasha Clann! But they had found the Clann of the Bearers of the Light moments too late.  
  
"Frith! No!" Kaiba, normally so logical, foolishly dove in front of Frith, thus getting hit with the knife himself. Such was the force of the throw that it buried itself hilt-deep in his shoulder. Only Tea, with her "A" in Science, knew that an artery ran between the clavicle and scapula. Not thinking straight, Kaiba pulled out the knife and immediately began bleeding profusely. Just as the Raasha Clann arrived on the scene, attracted by the disturbance of the use of necromantic magic, Kaiba collapsed.  
  
Tea, Tristan. and Joey, still frozen in shock that someone would throw a knife at a rabbit--and also that someone had gotten hit with one-- did nothing. Luckily, the Raasha Clann was more accustomed to war and death. As Kiendra took off on Shadowhawk and disappeared into the sky, they beckoned the three remaining adventurers.  
  
"You are not Clanners. I see that their is some tale behind this attack and your presence in our World, but there is no time for it now. Come with us; we can heal your friend."  
  
They followed the Clanners, dumbfounded. Clanners, trusting them without lengthy explanation? That was a new one. Tea carried Frith along with her.  
  
Looking at the hare, she muttered, "It's strange...I could have sworn he called you Frith."


	15. Mike

Author's Note: There is no Matt update in this chapter. Not all of the Pokemon World chapters will include Matt from this point on. He's an expert Pokemon trainer, and it's pretty obvious that he's going to win all of his battles. There may still be occasional Matt tidbits, though. Enjoy the show! (--''')  
  
Chapter 15--Mike  
  
Yuugi and Benjamin set out from Stone Town, eager to earn more badges and find the Key. It was a beautiful day, the sort of day when unexpected things aren't supposed to happen. Certainly, neither of them was prepared for what happened next. There was something like an explosion in the air, and a stranger came flying backwards through a Gate, slamming into Yuugi and skidding into a large boulder.  
  
While the stranger groaned, Benjamin glanced at the sword stuck almost hilt-deep into the rock beside him. His eyes were troubled. "Mike....."  
  
He pulled the sword easily out of the rock, lifted a large shield lying nearby, and walked back to Mike's landing site. Seeing Benjamin hold out his gear, Mike smiled in amazement.  
  
Sitting up, he exclaimed, "Ben! What're you doing here?"  
  
From beneath Mike came a muffled, "Ouch...."  
  
Benjamin silently handed Mike his shield and sword. Standing, Mike sheathed his sword and held out the shield. As he did so, it shrank back into its original shape--his Digivice!  
  
Yuugi stood up slowly, coughing. "Who...who are you.....?"  
  
Mike turned, seeing Yuugi for the first time. "Hey, who's your new pal, Ben?"  
  
Yuugi brushed dirt off himself and looked wearily at Mike. "I'm...Yuugi. Yuugi Mutou."  
  
Mike looked askance at him before whispering to Benjamin, "Why are you traveling around with this little kid?"  
  
Yuugi, hearing his none-too-quiet statement, flushed. "I am not a little kid!"  
  
Benjamin intervened before further trouble could begin. "This is Yuugi. He is...my friend."  
  
Mike accepted this with surprising calmness. "Oh. What're you doing here? And where am I?"  
  
Benjamin looked away. "This is the Pokemon World. Yuugi and I are in the Mountain League trying to earn ten badges and defeat the Champion so we can get half of a key."  
  
Mike smiled easily. "Tell you what--I'll come with you and help out!"  
  
Yuugi thought this was a bad idea. "Maybe you shouldn't come with us. We're being chased by these people who want to kill us. They're called Clanners, and they have--"  
  
"Tattoos? Yeah, I've seen them. In fact, a bunch of them attacked me along with these other people. I only escaped because they ended up fighting each other. Still, there's at least one more Clanner you don't have to worry about." He gestured to a blood-spattered head that had fallen through the gate with him.  
  
Yuugi looked like he was going to be sick. "You....you killed him!"  
  
Mike's face was grim. "It was him or me, kid. Sometimes, fighting is the only way out." He kicked the head over the side of the cliff without even looking at it. Then, he turned to Benjamin, smiling once more. "So? What're we waiting for?"  
  
They set off again, no one speaking what was in their minds. Yuugi couldn't help uneasy about Mike; he didn't know him very well, and having someone land on top of you is rarely a good introduction. Inside the Millennium Puzzle, Yami had already decided that he disliked Mike, on the grounds that Mike didn't like Yuugi--he didn't need any other reason than that. He refrained from mentioning this to Yuugi, both because he knew Yuugi wouldn't want him to judge Mike that quickly and because he didn't want to bother Yuugi unless it was important. Benjamin's face was unfathomable; he seemed wary and aloof and just a little sad all at once. Bikaymon, like Yami, had so far chosen to say nothing. He knew that right now, Benjamin needed some time to think.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
As they walked, Mike questioned Benjamin. "So, why are these guys chasing that little kid? And why do you have to get this key?"  
  
Benjamin did not meet Mike's eyes as he answered, "Yuugi and I must find the Key to help one of his allies. I do not know him, but if Yuugi trusts him, I do as well. We are pursued by the Clanners because the Overlord wants Yuugi dead. He is dangerous to the Overlord, more dangerous than either of us."  
  
Mike was astounded by this proclamation. "How can that be? All I see is a little short kid with weird hair and a weird necklace. What's so dangerous about him?"  
  
Benjamin frowned. "Yuugi is much more than he seems."  
  
Mike had no time to counter this remark, as he suddenly tripped, dropping most of his gear. Yuugi and Benjamin began picking it up when Yuugi uncovered a small, leather-wrapped package. Drawn by some unknown force, he opened it. Inside was a stack of paper-thin crystals.  
  
Holding one up to the light, Yuugi saw a picture of a dragon. He dropped the crystal in surprise. To everyone's amazement, it did not shatter. Instead, it struck the rock unharmed, giving out a clear, bell- like sound.  
  
Picking it up, Yuugi stared at it, unheeding of Mike and Benjamin's stares. "It looks so similar...can it be?"  
  
_How can it? They don't look like Duel Monsters cards_, Yami said, putting in his opinion since Yuugi had technically asked him, although he had probably been talking to himself.  
  
"But are they Summon cards? Where could they have come from? I thought Duel Monsters was unique to our World."  
  
_Vice said that all Worlds were unique in some way, and that Guardians are a reflection of this.  
  
_ "Then what did he mean? And what is this?" Yuugi said, perplexed.  
  
Mike waved a hand in front of Yuugi's eyes, not realizing that Yami was communicating with Yuugi mind-to-mind. "Uh...are you okay, kid?"  
  
Yuugi looked up, startled. "Huh? What did you say?"  
  
Mike shook his head. "You need professional help."  
  
Yuugi nodded absently. "Yeah, whatever you say....but....what are these?"  
  
Mike took the dragon card from the stack. "Oh, they're pretty weird. I know what a few of them are, though. This one is called--"  
  
"No, don't say it!"  
  
"--the Lesser Ice Drake." As he spoke, the Lesser Ice Drake appeared before them. Yuugi and Benjamin were both startled, but Mike calmly Desummoned the large dragon-like creature by flipping the crystal down. They were indeed Summon cards.  
  
Yuugi carefully wrapped them again, muttering as he did so, "So they are..."  
  
_ Summon capable, yes. Who knows what they really are, or where they come from? _Yami said skeptically, forgetting that he would probably make Yuugi look crazy by talking to him while someone who didn't know about him, Mike, was present.  
  
"They seem so similar. There must be a connection."  
  
Mike looked at Benjamin. "Ben...who's he talking to?"  
  
Benjamin shook his head, knowing the answer to Mike's question but also knowing that it was Yuugi who should tell Mike about Yami. "Don't ask. You don't want to know."  
  
Shrugging, Mike repacked his belongings. The travelers continued on in the deepening twilight.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Benjamin would have continued walking all night if Bikaymon had not whispered a reminder that they needed to rest at some point. Nodding in sudden comprehension, Benjamin called a halt. He and Yuugi set about making camp for the night, but it was obvious that neither knew very much about it, Benjamin being more used to sleeping in the open and Yuugi having no camping experience whatsoever. Benjamin wandered off, muttering something about territories and scouts, while Yuugi, having collected a useless assortment of twigs and woodchips from the sparse vegetation in the area, attempted to make a fire. He took two pieces of rock, which he fervently hoped were flint and steel, and started banging them together, frequently cutting and bruising his hands instead.  
  
Benjamin slipped noiselessly back, just as Mike said to Yuugi, "Here-- let me give you a hand." Snapping his fingers, a small flare appeared.  
  
Benjamin immediately pressed his hand over it, putting it out. "No fire. It will draw enemies down upon us."  
  
Yuugi knew better than to question this statement, but Mike saw no reason not to. "Aren't you planning on eating something cooked?"  
  
Benjamin shook his head. "I ate yesterday," he said with characteristic Darkling lack of emotion. Benjamin, living in dying Dark World, was used to eating when he could, and usually not every day. Luckily, his Darkling blood allowed him to do this with less health penalties than an ordinary human would have.  
  
Mike turned to Yuugi. "What about you?"  
  
Yuugi shrugged. "I ate this morning," he mentioned unhelpfully. Yuugi, unlike Benjamin, usually ate multiple times a day like a normal human, but he assumed that Benjamin, as an experienced traveler, knew what he was talking about. Used to being the weak link in any team, Yuugi was determined, for once, to be just as strong as everyone else. Of course, trying to keep up with a Darkling's stoic endurance was far from wise, but he didn't know that.  
  
Mike was dumbfounded. "Okay, Ben I'm used to, but what's wrong with you?"  
  
Benjamin, having only some idea of Yuugi's motives and knowing that it would be impossible to talk him out of them, muttered to Mike, "Don't ask. You don't want to know."  
  
None of the travelers probably would have eaten if Benjamin and Yuugi hadn't needed to feed their various creature allies; even so, they weren't carrying a great deal of a supplies, so Mike had to help out. They ended up eating mostly bread, since no one but a Darkling or someone living in Dark World would have eaten the highly questionable food that Benjamin couldn't satisfactorily explain the origins of. After that, they all settled down to doing whatever they felt like. Yami did nothing; as a spirit, he was still largely unable to interact with the material world.  
  
Luminaras, still refusing to go inside its Pokeball, settled down next to Yuugi and Bikaymon. Mike saw that, although Yuugi and Benjamin both saw the necessity of setting a watch, neither knew how to do it. Benjamin volunteered to take first watch. He stared off into space while Yuugi sat staring at the ground.  
  
Finally, he got up and continued attempting to make a fire. Mike poked Benjamin. He was unconcerned, however. "He can't make a fire striking those two pieces of granite together."  
  
While Mike was occupied, Yuugi dug something out of his pocket. Muttering something to the knee-high ball of fluff with clawed hands that appeared from his card, he pointed to his bundle of kindling. The creature, Kuribo, pointed at it and concentrated, and it immediately burst into flame. The small creature squeaked, pleased with itself. Mike, turning around to see what had squeaked, saw Yuugi quickly hide something (his card) behind his back.  
  
Mike nudged Benjamin again. Benjamin, however, remained nonchalant. "It is a magical fire; it will not smoke."  
  
Mike stared at Yuugi. "You had magic, and you decided to try lighting a fire with granite?" he asked, not realizing that Benjamin was talking about Kuribo's magical Burning Hands.  
  
Yuugi was surprised. "Oh, I don't have any magic."  
  
_You can Summon. That's magic_, Yami pointed out, sounding slightly indignant; Yuugi had a habit of underestimating his own abilities.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't have fire-lighting magic," Yuugi said, shrugging.  
  
Mike was about to ask him who he was talking to when Bikaymon nudged him. "Don't ask. You don't want to know."  
  
Mike shrugged and drew out a piece of wood. Taking a knife out of another pocket, he began to carve it. Suddenly, his hand was stopped.  
  
"Bre umbre!" Luminaras had grabbed the knife blade in his teeth, and was attempting to pull it toward him.  
  
Yuugi intervened before either of them got hurt. Pulling Luminaras backwards, he said, "Sorry--this is Luminaras--he's Vice's Umbreon, that makes him pretty unusual--he must like your knife....." Yuugi trailed off, staring at the weapon in Mike's hand. "That knife--it's one of Vice's!"  
  
_ It can't be. When has he met Mike?_ Yami said skeptically; the silver blade and leather-bound hilt looked just like one of Vice's knives, but how could Mike have gotten one? He certainly would never have been able to steal something like that from the Darkling warrior.  
  
"Look at it! It has to be one of his--it's almost identical to the ones he usually fights with."  
  
Mike, waving aside the question of who Yuugi was talking to, leaned forward. "You know Vice?"  
  
Yuugi nodded. "He sent us to look for the Key. We have to rescue him. How did you meet Vice?" Mike thought back, then launched into his story, as his audience--Yuugi, Bikaymon, and Yami, although Mike didn't realize he was listening too.  
  
[flashback]  
  
He was running along the dark street. Had to find shelter. His pursuers were gaining. Had to find shelter now. Suddenly, he saw a figure running in the opposite direction, looking upwards. It shouted something. Mike, transfixed by this scene, was suddenly knocked down when the stranger slammed into him. He wore a long, black coat, and his brilliantly green eyes seemed distracted.  
Waving toward the sky, he said hurriedly, "Sorry--wasn't watching where I was going, I--Skye was in trouble, so I wasn't looking--" Suddenly he stopped, staring at the person he had bumped into. "Mike! I am honored," he said, bowing. He smiled. "You are a friend of Benjamin. You can call me Vice."  
Before he had a chance to explain further, a falcon shrieked overhead. Seeing Mike's pursuers, he grinned at the dumbfounded boy, then raced off down an ally. Mike was about to help him, as he was clearly out numbered, when the first of his attackers fell backwards with a knife embedded in his throat. Mike glanced up, but both Vice and his unfortunate attackers were gone.  
  
[end flashback]  
  
"...and that's how I met Vice and got this knife. He saved my life, so I'm glad I'll have a chance to repay him."  
  
Luminaras, having succeeded in grabbing Mike's knife, curled up next to it and went to sleep. Mike carefully pulled it away and replaced it in his belt. After this, Yuugi shook Benjamin and told him to go to sleep, knowing that Benjamin would take all the watches if he did not. Only Mike and Bikaymon remained awake, staring into the heart of the fire. Each with their own thoughts. Each with their own concerns. 


	16. The Parting of Ways

Chapter 16--The Parting of Ways  
  
Tea, Joey, and Tristan sat inside one of the Raasha Clann's numerous rounded tents, made of hides stretched over wooden frames. The entire settlement resembled a collection of sandcastles due to their color, although they were plain and unadorned. After timidly asking one of the Clanner whether or not Kaiba would live, they had received a cryptic answer, at least to their ears.  
  
"Man, do I wish dese people spoke English! How can dey understand what they're sayin' to each other when dey're all speakin' gibberish?"  
  
Tea sighed exasperatedly. "That's their language, Joey. It may sound like gibberish to us, but they all understand it. Only a few of them speak any English," she said before standing up and leaving the tent, saying she was going for a short walk; she needed to do something before all of the waiting drove her crazy.  
  
She stepped outside, looking into the slate-gray sky. Would they ever find the Key with Necro Clann hounding their footsteps? Although the journey had been difficult, she had never thought that any of them might die. Vice had told them that they would see true war and death if they sought the other half of the Key. Tea had believed that she and her friends could overcome she have been wrong?  
  
_How can we fight the Necro Clann, or anyone for that matter? If we were all together, I know we could do this! But now...  
_  
Yuugi and Matt had journeyed to another World to seek their half of the Key of Aramas. How could they find both halves before time ran out when they were split up? Tea looked down. Frith, as she now called him, had decided to follow her. She sighed.  
  
"Poor Frith. You did your best to beat Kiendra, but we still couldn't stop her. She'll be back, I'm sure of it. And if there are only three of us to fight her next time..." Frith looked sad. "I know, Frith. You're worried about Kaiba. If he dies, his little bother will never forgive us. And we'll probably never get the Key. You're the one who beat Kiendra both times we faced her. Without everyone together, how can we hope to survive next time she attacks? When we started on this journey, I knew we would see war and death. It's just...I thought it would be other people's deaths. Other people's wars. We seem to have been dragged into the middle of this, and there may be no way out. I only hope we'll all get home safely......."  
  
Kasha-sen of the Raasha Clann was actually very optimistic about Kaiba's chances of survival. Speaking fluent English, she related this to him. "You are extremely fortunate. If the Necro Clanner had used a true throwing knife instead of this assassin's blade, you would be dead right now. It is never healthy to have a blade pass through a major artery, but although my healing magic is limited, I have fully repaired the jury; you'll live to fight another day. All the same, your news is not hopeful. If the Necro Clann has followed you into our territory, there is far more at stake then any Clann feud. I fear that they have sided with our greatest enemy--the Overlord. You must find the Key quickly if you wish to return home alive. The Clanner threw this tiny blade in anger. When they attack you and your companions in hate, you will truly know the meaning of war. In any case, you are free to go."  
  
She began cleaning the small, blood-covered knife she had found on the battlefield. "Here's some advice," she called after him. "Never pull a blade from a wound. It makes them bleed."  
  
Completely ignoring this, and also refusing to thank Kasha-sen, Kaiba left. After walking a few feet, he was knocked over by the exuberant Frith, who slammed into him with surprising force. Tea, Joey, and Tristan came running in the hare's wake. They all stared at him.  
  
"You're not dead?" Joey asked incredulously. In truth, he was really very happy to see Kaiba back on his feet--he was on their side even they weren't exactly friends--but he was too surprised to show it.  
  
Another Clanner walked up behind them. "So surprised? My Clann weilds protective magic, including healing. You may all travel onwards today, with our blessing."  
  
The four reunited travelers turned to him. "Actually, we were wondering if you could help us," Tea said politely. "Shou-lao told us to find you."  
  
The Clanner nodded. "I am Rakan. You have come to us seeking the Seal of Light, have you not? It is one of two Gate Seals, used to Seal the Shrine of the Key. We formerly possessed the Seal of Light; the other Seal, the Seal of Shadow, is held by the Shiirai Clann--Clann of the Bearers of the Shadow. To the lasting shame of our Clann, we lost our Seal to a powerful demon who still dwells in the mountains; we had not the strength to overcome the creature then, nor do we now. To obtain both Seals, you must defeat the demon and reason with the Shiirai Clann. Neither task will be easy. You are fortunate to be accompanied by the hare's of Shou-lao. She does not give gifts lightly. They can sense the aura of the Seal of Light, and will guide you to it, although they cannot find the Seal of Shadow. May the blessings of the Raasha Clann go with you, travelers. Fair fortune on your road."  
  
Then, before they had time to say anything, he turned on his heel and vanished back into the settlement. Now the travelers were faced with a choice. Which way should they go? As with every other decision the group tried to make, it was difficult to solve anything due to frequent arguments.  
  
"I say we should go find this demon guy first. That's the hard part!" Joey said, shivering as he thought of fighting a demon. Joey would face anyone in a straight fight without fear, but things that he couldn't understand terrified him.  
  
"No, we should go to the Shiirai Clann first. The demon is already in the mountains, so we can fight him on our way to the shrine," Tea argued, trying to figure out a way to complete their task as quickly as possible; their journey would only increase in danger as time went on.  
  
"How will we even find the Shiirai Clann? We don't know where they live!" Tristan said in frustration; he wanted to help Vice, but this mission looked like it might be too difficult for the group, and Tristan hated letting a friend down.  
  
"I say we give up right now. This is impossible," Kaiba said coldly; being stabbed had given him an even more pessimisstic outlook on their quest, if that was possible.  
  
"No it isn't! We can't give up. We told Vice we'd get that Key, and we will!" Joey said firmly, refusing to admit defeat. He had learned from Yuugi that the way to win was to never give up, no matter how hopeless things seemed.  
  
Finally Tea, who had already seen this problem coming when they found out that there were two Gate Seals, spoke up. "There is a way. We just have to split up. Two of us go find the Seal of Light, and the other two go find the Seal of Shadow. I know it sounds dangerous, but if we don't split up, we'll never find the Key in time. There's no other choice."  
  
Reluctantly, the others agreed. Now all that remained was to divide themselves into two groups. Surprisingly, this was relatively simple. Joey, having thought about this for a few minutes, came up with the answer. "Okay, me an' Tristan will go find da Seal of Shadow while you two find da Seal of Light. Got it?"  
  
Tea and Kaiba, both upset with this arrangement, shouted at the same time, "Why do I have to with him(her)!?"  
  
Tristan sighed. "Look, you two have the hares, right? So that means that you two are the only ones who can find that Light thing. And since we're splitting into groups, that means me and Joey have to go get the Shadow one. Personally, I'd rather go fight a demon than try to convince a bunch of Clanners to give us some Seal, but there's just no way. You have the hares, you find the Seal of Light."  
  
This was also agreed to, although with even more reluctance, if that was possible. The travelers, now splitting into pairs, got ready to depart. The hardest stage of their journey was about to begin. 


	17. Double Trouble

Chapter 17--Double Trouble  
  
Mike, Yuugi, and Benjamin set out towards the nearest town. Benjamin was "scouting ahead," although they had no idea what for, leaving Yuugi to make an awkward conversation with Mike, since Yami was carefully avoiding speaking as so not to bother Yuugi.  
  
Feeling that he should say something to his new companion, but not able to think of anything to say, Yuugi unhelpfully said, "Uh...nice sword. It's...very sharp. Where did you get it?" Yuugi smiled hesitantly at Mike.  
  
Mike stared at him like he was crazy. "This sword has been passed down through my family from generation to generation. I received it when my family was massacred."  
  
Yuugi looked at him curiously. "Yours too?" he asked in surprise; he had met very few people whose family had been killed, as his parents were.  
  
This caught Mike's attention. In his own World, the earth-like World that the Digidestineds came from, he had lived behind a dumpster with the aid of his close friends Jane and Luke because he had neither home or family; after touching his family's ancestreal sword one day, a corrupt Digimon named Necromon had been able to send his servants to kill Mike's family. "Your family was murdered?"  
  
Yuugi had been only a few years old when his family and their Otherworldly friends had been killed, and he didn't remember them. Although Yuugi always felt sad about people who had been killed or even died in accidents, he couldn't feel particularly upset about people he didn't remember--it was like hearing about the deaths of strangers. Because of this, he had no problem telling Mike about his parents.  
  
"Yes. They were tortured to death by the Overlord. All I have left is my father's deck." This was technically true; Yuugi's father had recieved this Duel Monsters deck from his own father, Yuugi's grandfather, but had never been very skilled at the game. He had kept the cards simply because he knew they were important to his father. Before Yuugi's father was killed, however, the cards found there way back to his grandfather, who had never explained just how they were returned. He handed it to Mike, who looked at it, nonplussed.  
  
"But...it's....a bunch of game cards?"  
  
Yuugi looked indignant for a moment, then sheepish, remembering that Mike had no idea that with these cards, Yuugi could wield powerful magic and call monsters to his aid from the Shadow Realm. "Uh....sure, that's right....they...don't do anything. Just cards."  
  
_ He must realize how similar they are to his crystals_, Yami said, sounding amused at Mike's ignorance.  
  
Mike handed the cards back. Yuugi, lost in thought, absently put them away, saying vaguely, "No, I don't think so...most people wouldn't realize something like that if they weren't looking for it..."  
  
Mike stepped away from him. "Talking to yourself again, Yuugi?"  
  
Yuugi, startled, frowned at him. "I am not talking to myself!"  
  
"Then who are you talking to?" Mike replied immediatly.  
  
"I was talking to Ya--no one," Yuugi answered, mentally berating himself for almost giving away Yami's existence; so far, the two had decided to keep this a secret from the general public. Benjamin, Vice, and Yuugi's friend Tea knew about Yami because they could see him, but Yuugi didn't want to tell Mike just yet.  
  
Mike smiled triumphantly. "Then you're crazy," he said, with the air of one coming to an unassailiable conclusion.  
  
"I AM NOT CRAZY!!!" Yuugi shouted at him, finally losing his temper. In general, it was very hard to annoy or anger Yuugi, but he had been accused of being crazy before, and it was starting to bother him.  
  
_ You do look pretty strange, talking to someone he can't see_, Yami commented, making the problem even worse; for the most part, he tried not to get Yuugi into trouble by talking to him, but it was boring to stay within the Millennium Puzzle all the time, even if he did know what was going on because of his link to Yuugi.  
  
"You started talking to me!" Yuugi protested; he had only realized that Yami existed within the last few months, so he was still get used to having the spirit inside his mind.  
  
_You didn't have to answer me_, Yami pointed out.  
  
"It is not my fault that he thinks I'm crazy!"  
  
Mike groaned. "Would you shut up?" he said bluntly. He was becoming slightly disturbed by Yuugi's prolonged conversation, not just with himself, but apparently with some imaginary person.  
  
Yuugi, caught off guard again, said, "I didn't say anything!" This was not strictly true, since he had been speaking to Yami, but what he meant was that he had only been replying to someone else.  
  
"Both of you, shut up!" Mike said, annoyed. Then he realized what he had just said and paused, looking confused. "Wait...what am I saying?"  
  
Benjamin turned around, looking back at his two companions from where he and Bikaymon were scouting ahead for any signs of danger, whatever they might be. "Would all three of you be quiet?" he asked politely; he was trying to concentrate, and loud noise would give away their position. He could not, of course, actually hear Yami since the spirit was communicating mentally with Yuugi, but he knew that Yami must be speaking from what Yuugi was saying.  
  
Mike groaned. "Yuugi, stop talking to yourself, okay?" He whacked him gently in the head. Mike wasn't actually trying to hurt Yuugi--he was kidding more than anything else.  
  
Mike grimaced. "Ouch!" He felt as though he had gotten a static shock on his fingers.  
  
Yuugi glanced at Yami, who had invisibly manifested next to Mike. "That wasn't nice."  
  
_ He deserved it_, the spirit silently replied, glaring at the older boy. Yami didn't interfere in Yuugi's life for the most part--until only a few months ago, he really hadn't been able to--but he wouldn't tolerate anyone hurting Yuugi.  
  
"It didn't hurt, you know," Yuugi said patiently, used to this by now. Before he found out about Yami, the spirit had occasionally taken control of Yuugi's body when he was in danger and defeated any potential opponents in magical Shadow Games.  
  
_Yuugi, you would say that if someone hit you with a sledgehammer_, Yami replied. This was only a slight exaggeration--Yuugi was rarely willing to condemn anyone for his own sake.  
  
"You still didn't have to do that."  
  
_ There's a big difference between what you have to do and what you actually do_, Yami said in a very final tone of voice.  
  
"I give up," Yuugi replied wearily, lapsing into silence. As much as he liked Yami, the spirit did cause a lot of trouble.  
  
Mike shook his head. Unable to cope with Yuugi's bizarre, one-sided conversation, he walked away, mentally reminding himself not to hit Yuugi again.  
  
Benjamin sniffed the air. There was trouble coming, of that he was certain. There was a footprint in the ground; definitely a Clanner. He motioned to Yuugi and Mike, who came forward to join him.  
  
Mike looked carefully at the print. "I'd say it's not more than two hours old, and maybe a lot less."  
  
_Yuugi, look--next to the footprint_, Yami said, studying the ground. He didn't normally remain manifested for very long, since it drained his energy just as sustained physical activity would for a corporeal being, but these were special circumstances.  
  
"What is it?" the smaller boy asked, looking down.  
  
Mike studied the print, not looking at Yuugi. "What is what?"  
  
Yuugi looked up. "Huh? Oh, this thing that's next to the footprint."  
  
Benjamin was immediately on alert. "What is it?" he said, readying himself for trouble.  
  
Yuugi shrugged. "I don't know; I haven't seen it yet."  
  
They all looked down. It was the print from an animal's footpad-- possibly a wolf. Mike was astounded. "Yuugi, how did you know that was there?"  
  
Yuugi looked at him curiously. "I didn't."  
  
Bikaymon shook his head. Fluttering over to Mike, he whispered, "Don't ask. You don't want to know."  
  
Yami sighed deeply. _You really have to stop answering questions like that_, he said, choosing to ignore the fact that he had started the whole thing.  
  
The group continued walking, knowing that the Clanners were ahead of them. Suddenly Benjamin stopped. The young Clanner they had recently battled stood before them, having appeared from his hiding place. "You have dishonored my grandfather by defeating him, and I shall avenge him!"  
  
He leaped forward, sword drawn. Benjamin, seeing the danger before Mike did with his Darkling reflexes, jumped in front of the blade so that Mike would not be injured. He collapsed, badly slashed. Mike was about to draw his own sword when Yuugi stepped forward, resolute.  
  
"Stop. This is between you and me, Clanner. I challenge you to a battle!"  
  
Mike expected to see a Pokemon battle, still not sure whether Yuugi came from this World or another one. Instead, however, Yuugi pulled out his Deck. Mike was in shock. "What are you doing!? Are you insane!?"  
  
Yuugi ignored him, realizing that explanations were useless. "I Summon--Kuribo!"  
  
The Clanner grinned as he pulled out a handful of cards. "And I Summon--Daishi, my faithful wolf!" he said as the amulet around his neck lit up.  
  
The two began to battle as Mike, completely perplexed, turned to Bikaymon. Benjamin's partner said, "Mike, I know we've been telling you not to ask, but now that you know he can Summon...you may as well."  
  
Mike watched as Kuribo, seemingly a defenseless hairball, used magical attacks to defeat Daishi. The Clanner scowled, almost in tears. "Daishi! Are you all right?" Desummoning his monster, he turned to Yuugi and his friends. "I will not forget this day, Summoner! I and my Clann will return!" With that, he vanished back into the wilderness, not willing to stay and fight while his monster was injured.  
  
Yuugi sighed. This would not be the last time they faced Skull Clann- -he could feel it. Turning to Mike and Benjamin, he looked through his Deck for a card that would heal his friend's injuries. He drew out Monster Reborn. "In the game, this resurrects a monster that's been sent to the graveyard. I don't think it can resurrect the dead as a Summon card, but maybe I can use it to heal Benjamin by channeling my energy into it!"  
  
_ You've never tried this before, Yuugi. I have a feeling you'll need more energy than you have to spare to make this work_, Yami said, sounding worried.  
  
Yuugi nodded. "Bikaymon, I'm going to need your energy as well as mine," he said, realizing that Benjamin's Guardian partner would be able to give him more strength than anyone else.  
  
Before Bikaymon could agree, however, Mike shrugged. "Look--I have lots of extra energy, and Ben is my pal. Borrow some of my energy."  
  
Yuugi's guess had been correct. Benjamin's injuries healed, although he remained unconcious. While he slept, Yuugi and Mike set about making camp. In the end Mike told Yuugi to stay out of the way because he was so inefficient, earning him another painful jolt from a vengeful, if insubstantial, spirit.  
  
Mike rubbed his head. "What did you do that for? ...and how?"  
  
Yuugi looked at him blankly. "I didn't do anything. I'm just sitting here like you told me to," he said from his position at the edge of the area where Mike was working.  
  
Mike looked at him suspiciously. "Are you sure you didn't do anything?"  
  
Yuugi thought about this for a second. "Yes, I'm sure....oh." He turned to Yami, who was glaring at Mike. "What is with you and Mike? Can't you two just get along?"  
  
_ If he can't get along with you, I can't get along with him_, the spirit said flatly.  
  
"Just leave him alone, okay? It's important that we all work together to get the Key."  
  
_ I still say we don't need his help.  
_  
"And I still say that with Skull Clann chasing us, we need all the help we can get."  
  
_ If you really think so...all right,_ Yami said. If it had been anyone else, he would have stubbornly refused to listen, but the spirit usually gave in to what Yuugi wanted.  
  
Still watching Yuugi suspiciously, mostly because he was talking to himself again, Mike took the first watch. He was beginning to suspect that Yuugi wasn't as crazy as he seemed.

-o-o-o-o-o-The next morning, Yuugi woke up unusually early, just in time to see the tail end of the sunrise painting in the sky in bands of vivid red, orange, yellow, and pink. To his surprise, Mike was also awake, sitting by the doused remains of their campfire. He was looking at something in his lap, occasionally glancing up at something in his hands.  
  
_ Don't move. If he realizes that you're awake, he'll put away the book,_ Yami said, having returned to the Millennium Puzzle earlier to conserve energy.  
  
Yuugi very slowly turned to look at Mike, who was carefully examining a large book and one of his crystals--those had been the things in his lap and in his hand. Yuugi watched him for several minutes before sitting up and saying, "What's with the book, Mike?"  
  
Mike, who had not realized that Yuugi was awake, jumped, sending both book and crystal flying. While he was recovering from his shock, Yuugi politely picked up his fallen materials. Without so much as glancing at them, he handed them back to Mike.  
  
"Here--you dropped these."  
  
_ Wait--look at the book!_ Yami said, sounding shocked.  
  
Yuugi glanced down. To his surprise, it was a picture of the monster on the card. Even more surprising, however, was the subject matter. The monster looked almost exactly like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Dropping the book in amazement, he stared at Mike.  
  
This continued for a minute before Mike, recovering from his surprise, hastily put the cards in his hands away. "I was just--er--that is--"  
  
Yuugi seemed not to hear him. "Can it be? It looks so similar..." he said, picking up the book again and looking at the illustration.  
  
_ It's not exactly the same. This can't be a picture of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon...can it?_ Yami said uncertainly.  
  
"I don't know...it certainly seems like it..." Yuugi replied thoughtfully, frowning.  
  
Mike waved a hand in front of Yuugi's eyes. "Uh...Yuugi? Who are you talking to?  
  
_Go ahead. You may as well tell him_, Yami said, realizing that if they were to travel with Mike for any length of time, the older boy should at least be aware of his existence.  
  
Yuugi sighed, wondering if Mike would believe him. "I was talking to Yami. He's the spirit of the Millenium Puzzle."  
  
Mike stared at him for a minute. He stared at him for a minute more. Finally, he said, "Oh," not sure he wanted to hear any more.  
  
Yuugi decided not to elaborate. "Mike, what is this book? And what were you doing?"  
  
Mike sighed in his turn. "This book tells all about my crystals. I've been studying to find out more about my crystals so that I can use them. This one right here--" he held up the dragon that had so amazed Yuugi "--is the Blue-Eyes God Dragon. I've learned a few others as well-- the King Dragonite, for instance. Now I have about as many cards as those Clanners."  
  
He gave card and book to Yuugi to examine. "This card looks almost exactly like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. And Dragonite is a Pokemon! What does it mean?"  
  
Mike shrugged. "They are pretty similar, I guess, but this is the Blue-Eyes God Dragon, not the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, and this isn't a Dragonite, it's a King Dragonite. These must be similar to monsters from multiple Worlds!"  
  
Yuugi handed back the book and the crystals. "I know someone who'd like to have that."  
  
Mike looked at him curiously. "A friend of yours?"  
  
Yuugi smiled sadly. "Not exactly," he said, thinking of Kaiba's three Blue-Eyes White Dragons, as well as the young CEO's beloved Faith and the dragon which had hatched from an egg he had recieved, Skysong.  
  
At that moment, Benjamin sat up, having finally recovered. "What-- what happened?" Bikaymon, who had fallen asleep watching over Benjamin, was overjoyed at his recovery, and he, Mike, and Yuugi hurriedly explained the situation to him. He was not pleased. "The Skull Clann will surely return. We must keep moving. We are near the next town now." The three-- or four, if you had spirit-sight--friends trudged on.-o-o-o-o-o-Benjamin glanced at a sign near the road. "We're almost at...Flat City. It's this wa--"  
  
At that moment, Benjamin, responding to a literally inhuman instinct, dove sideways, narrowly missing decapitation by a wicked, saw-edged blade. The wielder of this blade hove into view, accompanied by a collective gasp of horror (minus Benjamin).  
  
The creature was a sickly, unlustrurous shade of black, roughly the size of a human torso. Two stubby "legs" of unknown use grew from its lower section, while a single arm, ending in the sword Benjamin had barely avoided, protruded from the center of its body, which hovered above the ground so that it was at about human height. Its head was made of sharp, bony angles, resembling a dinosaur or a bird.  
  
Although they had never before seen anything like it, they knew at once that it was evil. Benjamin and Mike drew their swords, while Yuugi, knowing that he would only hinder them in a swordfight, began frantically rummaging through his Deck, searching for a card to help his friends.  
  
Mike charged forward and locked swords with the foul creature, only to have his blade pulled out of his hand by the serrated edge of the creature's weapon. Benjamin slashed at the monster in an attempt to help Mike, but only succeeded in losing his sword as well. The creature was about to run Benjamin through, but Mike jumped on top of it. Benjamin also attacked it, desparately trying to find a weakness.  
  
Yuugi, meanwhile, had finally pulled out the Spellbinding Circle. Mike and Benjamin were knocked away as he activated it. Yuugi, however, discovered that the creature absorbed energy, including magic, whatever it was. His Circle flickered and died as the monster sucked in all of Yuugi's energy, causing him to collapse, gasping for breath and exhausted by the energy drain.  
  
The monster, sensing weakness, closed in for the kill. Mike, who was grabbing his sword, knew that it was hopeless. There was no one close enough to help Yuugi...or at least, no one he could see. To his surprise, the creature's blade stopped. A knife flickering with white fire was locked with it. Battling a corporeal creature, Yami became visible even to Mike, who had very little ability to see spirits of any type. He stared in shock for a second before dashing forward to help.  
  
As it happened, it was fortunate that he did so. It quickly became evident (at least to Yuugi and Yami--Mike was still clueless) that the monster could see spirits, and was also equipped to kill them. Mike arrived just in time to save two lives (one and a half by P'korum measurements). Benjamin also got up, quietly sneaking up behind the enemy.  
  
Mike, hoping to distract it and possibly defeat it, pulled out his crystal deck. "Blue-Eyes God Dra--"  
  
The monster had knocked the card out of Mike's hand! It slashed at him, knocking him down. Benjamin leapt from behind, but was thwarted by the monster's incredible reflexes.  
  
In desperation, Mike unthinkingly shouted, "Go to him!" as he pointed toward Yuugi.  
  
Yuugi picked up the Mike's fallen crystal. "Please let this work...Blue-Eyes God Dragon, Blue-Eyes God Dragon!"  
  
To his surprise, it did work. The Blue-Eyes God Dragon appeared and calmly vaporized their strange attacker. Mike, taking the crystal from Yuugi, returned it.  
  
Benjamin coughed. "We outnumbered it by three, but we barely survived! What was it?"  
  
A small, high-pitched voice answered. "Oh, that was a Sentinel. There are lots of them underneath." They all stared at the small, shadowy- looking monkey standing before them, or perhaps more accurately standing by their feet. His outline was slightly blurred, as if he was made of fluid, and he was about as tall as Mike's knee. He looked at them with interest, sniffing curiously. "Ooo! A Guardian! ...TWO Guardians!"  
  
Yuugi and Yami were equally surprised. "You can see me?"  
  
The monkey shrugged.  
  
"You can hear me!?"  
  
The monkey snorted. "Of course I can!"  
  
Mike groaned. "Am I the only one who can't see this guy!?"  
  
Attracted by his comment, the monkey sniffed at him. "Ooo! A hero! Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow I MET A HERO!!!"  
  
They all stared at Mike--and the monkey-- in silence. Finally Yuugi ventured to ask, "What's your name?"  
  
The monkey stopped shouting momentarily. "Well...actually....I don't remember...why don't you give me a name?"  
  
Yuugi agreed to this suggestion while Mike and Benjamin continued to stare in silent surprise. "Well, you're a fluidy-looking black monkey and you can see spirits...how about Shadow?"  
  
The monkey (or Shadow, as he had just been named) was ecstatic over this, as he was about everything. "Ooo! Yay! I like that name!" He smiled amicably.  
  
Benjamin, far more suspicious than Yuugi, was unaccepting of this strange creature. "Where do you come from, and what are you doing here?"  
  
Shadow smiled again. "Ooo, another Guardian! I come from Da-Ku. I live in a forest--not underground like the Sentinels."  
  
Yuugi, knowing nothing about either Da-Ku or the Sentinels (beyond the fact that one had tried to kill them), was unfazed by this. "Do you want to come with us?"  
  
Shadow nodded happily. Benjamin, however, refused this suggestion point-blank. "Yuugi, cannot accompany us! We know nothing about him beyond that he appeared with a creature that tried to kill us, and he's from Da-Ku!!! Da-Ku is among the most evil Worlds in existence! If he is allied with the creature that just attacked us--the Sentinel--then he is a danger to us!"  
  
Yuugi, smiling benignly, disagreed. "Oh, Shadow isn't dangerous! Just because he lives in Da-Ku doesn't mean he's evil, Benjamin. He's just a black, fluidy-looking monkey who lives in trees and sees spirits, that's all."  
  
Benjamin was about to disagree when Bikaymon whispered something to him. He subsided, muttering ominously in Darkling. Shadow, on the other hand, was overjoyed. "Ooo! I get to come with you! Yay!!!"  
  
Mike groaned again. "This could get annoying real fast........"-o-o-o-o-o-Mike, Benjamin, Yuugi, and Shadow arrived in Flat City. It was aptly named, built on a flat plateau of rock. All the buildings were symmetrical. In fact, the entire city seemed oddly balanced and uniform.  
  
Before it got too creepy, they headed into the Pokemon Center. To say that Nurse Joy was surprised was an understatement. Three travelers, two of them covered with blood, wandering into the Pokemon Center only to ask for directions? It was a sight that they saw very rarely--in fact, until this moment, not at all. The travelers, seeming to realize that they were unwelcome, left as suddenly as they had come. Nurse Joy shook her head. "Something odd is certainly going on around here," she muttered. How right she was!  
  
The travelers walked down the symmetrical street, heading to the symmetrical Gym. Before all this symmetry could get on their nerves, Benjamin accidentally ran straight into a dark figure as it wandered out into the street. He was knocked backwards several feet on contact with it. They saw, to their surprise and horror, that it was another Sentinel--an even larger and more powerful enemy.  
  
Shadow squeaked, "It's a Sentinel Commander! Look out!"  
  
Yuugi, highly attuned to the energy and intent of other beings, sensed the incredible evil emanating from the Commander and fell to the ground in pain, unable to move or attack. The Commander, sensing this, moved in for the attack.  
  
Luckily, Benjamin was already on alert. Raising his hand, he began to absorb the Commander's energy. Yuugi was vividly reminded of the last time Benjamin had attempted to absorb the power of an enemy, causing his soul to be stolen by none other than Pegasus, the crazed former holder of the Millennium Eye in his own World. He had little time to review the memory, however, because at this point he passed out.  
  
The Commander began to force all of its aura into Benjamin, causing him to fall to the ground as well. As with the last time, Benjamin was unable to absorb all of the Commander's power. Unlike last time, however, this was rapidly killing him. Mike leapt forward to attack, accompanied by an unseen ally. Only two of the party were still in fighting condition. These two were extremely angry.  
  
It is never wise to attack Benjamin in Mike's presence.   
  
It is never wise to attack Yuugi, because he is almost always in Yami's presence.  
  
In short, the Commander had unknowingly made a fatal mistake.  
  
The battle that followed was dangerous and bloody. In the end, Mike and the others were lucky. Mike threw his sword into the creature's torso, and Yami followed suit with his spirit blade. Benjamin, having recovered slightly thanks to his Darkling endurance, staggered to his feet and flung his sword as well, coughing blood.  
  
The Commander finally collapsed. Mike stepped forward, yanking his sword free. At that moment, a strange, metallic, centipede-like creature uncurled from the handle and began crawling forward, seeking a victim to regain its strength. Its final mistake was to pick Yuugi.  
  
It is never wise to anger an enemy you cannot see. The centipede discovered this to its cost.  
  
Mike looked at the now-dead centipede, nonplussed. "Nice shot....whoever just stabbed that....."  
  
Yuugi, having reawakened now that the Commander was destroyed, got up slowly, as did Benjamin. Benjamin wiped blood from his mouth, looking fully recovered. A silvery light faded from the medallion he wore under his shirt. Benjamin, having taken both severe injuries to the head and prolonged blood loss during his early childhood, could not remember where he had gotten his medallion; he wore it because he knew only that it had been a gift from someone very important to him, although he had no idea who.  
  
Benjamin watched tiredly as Shadow poked at the eyepiece from the Sentinel. The black monkey straitened up for a moment, than vanished without a trace.  
  
The companions were saddened, but Benjamin, who had drastically changed his opinion about Shadow, said, "I think that Shadow is fine, wherever he is. But...I will miss him."  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Far away, in Kanto, the Guardian of the Pokemon World and her Guardian partner left the house they shared with her adoptive older brother, Matt. At that moment, Shadow fell on top of her.  
  
She smiled. "Hello, there! My name's Cat, and this is Gard," she said, pointing to her Guardian partner, who looked like an unusually large Pikachu, although he was much more than that. "Who are you?"  
  
Shadow looked up. "Well, they called me Shadow." 


	18. Wanderers and Warriors

Author's note: From now on, the two groups will get separate sections, sort of like two chapters in one. Or two half-chapters in one. --'''  
  
Chapter 18--Wanderers and Warriors  
  
It could not be said that Joey and Tristan were lost; they had had no idea where they were when they set out, and they had no idea where they were going in the first place, so lost did not really sum up their predicament. It would be more accurate to say that they were hopelessly, aimlessly wandering, going somewhere fast, but having no idea what that somewhere was or when they would reach it. Not only that, they were rapidly running out of time. They had less than a week left to find the Key and get home before their absence would become suspicious. To top it off, they had just entered a stretch of dreary, swampy territory so hazy they could see little more than a few feet in front of them. This did nothing to improve their moral.  
  
"Ow! Dat's the second time in five minutes dat I stepped on one of dose spike things--thorns," Joey growled in exasperation; he wanted to do something, not just travel and travel without ever getting anywhere.  
  
"How can you tell it's been five minutes?" Tristan wearily replied. "My watch stopped from getting soaked in swamp gunk."  
  
"How are we supposed to find dose Clanners if we don' even know where ta look?" Joey said loudly, becoming increasingly frustrated as time passed, seemingly without them making any progress.  
  
There was a momentary pause while Tristan thought about this. "The way I see it, we're bound to accidentally enter some Clanner territory. Then we can ask for directions. How about that?"  
  
"Oh, that's a great plan," Joey said sarcastically, "just as long as they don't kill us!"  
  
"Hey, there's nothing else we can do!" Tristan snapped back.  
  
Sighing, the two weary travelers continued, neither in the best of spirits. As it happened, however, the plan was a good one. The Clanns were amazingly (some might say obsessively) vigilant for intruders, and one had already spotted them. They were already sending scouts to alert their Chieftenn. The two within the swamp, however, had no knowledge of this.  
  
"Ah! I'm stuck! We're never gonna get outta of here!" Joey wailed miserably. He didn't mind getting hurt in a fight, but being stratched, bruised, and throughly exhausted without being able to do anything about it bothered him.  
  
"We may as well keep going; it's not like we have any chance of getting back," Tristan said in a monotone, equally miserable.  
  
"If I evah need motivational advice, remind me not ta ask you," Joey grumbled, finally freeing himself from the clinging nettles.  
  
"Hey, I'm just trying to help!" Tristan replied, carefully avoiding the thorny patch that had given Joey trouble.  
  
At that moment, both of them unwittingly walked into a patch of bog, lost their balance, fell, and promptly began sinking. This was not due so much to the bog as to the fact that creatures within the bogs enjoy fresh meat, since they so rarely taste it.  
  
A serpentine head arose from the far end of the bog. Unfortunately for Joey and Tristan, it was attached to the claws that were pulling them under the bog's surface. Leering balefully at them, it spoke in a hissing whisper. "Sssstrangersss, you have tressspassed on my land.....and now you will pay....the pricccce!" It moved its head closer. "But....are they even worthhh....the effort? I do not know...but....fressssh meat is sssso rare.....one cannot ignore it.....when it offersss itssself up sssso willingly.....bessidesss....I cannot allow two tressspasserssss.....to roam freely...yessss.....I am afraid you musssst.....die......"  
  
Joey and Tristan naturally did not take kindly to this suggestion.  
  
"What!? No! No way! We're not trespassers, let us go!"  
  
"Wait!" Joey shouted, suddenly struck by an idea. He clenched his teeth, concentrating hard--everything depended on speed now. "I Summon Copycat! Copycat, transform into...uh...fire!"  
  
This plan, although frantic (and nearly impossible), was carried out by Joey's faithful (and highly intelligent, luckily for them) Copycat, who turned into a Flame Manipulator it had once met in the Shadow Realm.  
  
The serpent fled in the face of the fire it detested, leaving Joey and Tristan to struggle out of the swamp ("Copycat, be a rope!"). When they reached dry land, however, they found themselves surrounded by a group of angry Clanners. The most common tattoo was what looked like black fire on the left cheek, while the leader of the party also bore a long black stripe down his nose. The did not look pleased.  
  
"Humans, you trespass on our land. Ordinarily, we would kill you now, but you appear to have magic; you are Outworlders. Come with us; we will take you to our Chieftenn."  
  
Joey and Tristan had little choice; in the face of the various short swords and daggers born by the scouting party, they followed them with alacrity.  
  
"Well," muttered Tristan, "at least we found them."  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
If Joey and Tristan were having trouble reaching their destination, this was nothing compared to the problems harbored by their fellow searchers, Kaiba and Tea. Although they were traveling rapidly, and had some idea where they were going (Frith and Windpaw could sense the Seal of Light), they hated each other so intensely that their journey was altogether miserable. Neither of them would have minded traveling with almost anyone else. Only the two hares, which continued to move forward, did not seem hostile. Oddly enough, they did not argue; as far as they were concerned, there was no point.  
  
Mile after mile they walked, still following Frith and Windpaw. To an outsider, it would have looked bizarre; two silent humans following two hares into a seemingly empty mountain wilderness. They were indeed returning to the mountains, and it was again growing cold, but Tea's confidence in Windpaw and Frith (and Kaiba's stubborn refusal to speak at all, even to suggest that they were hopelessly lost) made them continue walking toward what was probably north. Darkness fell, and visibility grew poor, but still they walked. Whether this was because they wanted to find the Seal of Light quickly, or because neither wanted to be the first to suggest that they stop, was anyone's guess.  
  
Finally, when Tea could no longer see her hands two inches in front of her face, she muttered, "Oh, this is getting ridiculous," and shouted, "Kaiba, we have to stop! We're just going to get lost in the dark!"  
  
This was the start of an argument which, unlike past debates between the entire, four-person group, was incredibly vicious, although it looked more civil.  
  
"Why? You'd rather freeze in one place?" Kaiba said, sneering at her.  
  
"What's the point of getting lost? We can't see where we're going in the dark!" Tea protested, trying to keep calm.  
  
"We don't have to; we're following two rabbits, who apparently know where they're going through ESP. What more direction could we possibly need?" Kaiba replied sarcastically; he had always been a very factual person, so he was still getting used to magic and was inclined to be skeptical.  
  
"It's not ESP, it's magic! And they know exactly where we're going!" Tea shouted, glaring at him fiercely, her resolve not to let her temper get out of control gone.  
  
"Which is where? All they supposedly know is where the Seal of Light is--assuming it really exists and this isn't some crazy wild goose chase," Kaiba said at once, easily maintaining his usual cold exterior.  
  
"You are so cynical! Why would the Clanners lie to us?" Tea demanded, hoping to end their argument so they could find some shelter.  
  
Despite the truth in this statement, and the fact that he knew it was true, Kaiba decided to argue with it anyway. "Why not?"  
  
"You're just being stubborn!" Tea accused him, feeling more annoyed by the minute at the young CEO's complete refusal to trust anything.  
  
"You have too much faith in a group of psychotic, tattooed strangers who threaten to kill you as soon as they see you," Kaiba said patronizingly, not bothered by having someone shout at him; being in charge of a business had made him used to this sort of thing.  
  
"They tried to help us! They saved your life!"  
  
"And that matters how?"  
  
Tea was getting exasperated. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"  
  
At this moment, their pointless argument was interrupted (some people might say, luckily interrupted). "Oh? Argying? Lost inna blizzid onna mounting at night? Bad-dangerous! Why yous 'ere, eh?"  
  
They both spun around. Hanging upside down off an outcropping above them was a bizarre-looking girl. The thing that was most obvious were her long, fox-like ears; her tail also suck out. Looking more closely, they saw that creamy tan fur stuck out of her clothing. She was small and wiry, and appeared completely concerned with their absolute shock in seeing her.  
  
She dropped down and landed on her feet, giggling. "Oh? Tongues bees all tied? Well, 'urry up an' tell me why yous're 'ere! Me's hasn' got all night, y'know, an' yous hasn' said anyfing all day. Me was foll'in you, me oughta know! Me thought maybe you couldn' talk or somefing, but yous shouted lot a lot a minute ago. What'sa matter? Not bein' all quiet again, is yous? Yeeheehee!"  
  
They continued to stare, speechless, at the strange part-human giggling and turning cartwheels in front of them. Finally, Tea sputtered, "But--but--what are you? And what are you doing here?"  
  
The girl giggled again. "Me? Me's all alone! Me Lona 'cause I live by m'self up inna mounting!" She leaned closer, whispering confidentially. "Theys all thinks me's dead, y'know. Thought it was a sure fing, blood eveywhere, big cut onna me head--but me made it! Now me hides. Half- breeds like me gotta do that, but me's the only one here!"  
  
She grinned dementedly and held up a small, well-worn hand lantern. She squinted at it, and it burst into flame. In its flickering light, they saw for the first time that she had a long, deep scar between her ears. It looked as though someone had hit her over the head with an axe; feeling sick, Tea suddenly realized that, judging from what she said, that was most likely what had happened.  
  
Lona, not noticing the look on her face, smiled at her. "Shouldn' be 'ere s'all dark an scary, gotta rest 'till itsa mornin'! Heeheehee! Gotta sleepy sleep, then inna morning you notta know what 'appens at nighty-time! Heeheehee! Aren't ya scared a the dark? Lotsa bad things hide inna dark! Yeeheehee! Gotta run, hide, be real real fast, get away fromma shadow- people, wanna eat me inside! Wanna keep you's inside-mind, dontcha? Dontcha?"  
  
Realizing that inside-mind meant soul, Tea said, "Who eats souls? Why do we have to hide?"  
  
Lona opened her mouth wide in a smile that showed sharp, pointed teeth stained with what Tea could only hope was not blood. "Yeeheehee! Lona 'ide, Lona not get caughted, Lona wake up inna morning and all theys bad shadow-people goes away, then me's all safey safe 'till night-time again! Lona makes it--you not gonna! Yeeheehee!"  
  
Kaiba, finally recovering from the shock of seeing a half-cat girl who kept laughing and telling them they were going to die, whispered to Tea, "She is _crazy_! Look at her!"  
  
Lona, her hearing far sharper than a normal human's, caught this remark. "Yup yup! Lona's crazy, but Lona's still breavin', and you's not gonna be 'round much longer, 'cause the nasty nasty shadow-people wantsa get you! Lona gotta stay onna mounting, she's a half-breed! Yeeheehee! They's all gone now, Lona's not, they's not half-breeds, Lona's all alone now, but Lona's okay, me's okay, me stay away fromma nasty shadow-people! Yeeheehee! Me not needa dead-people, Lona not need nuffin, Lona's okay wivout da dead-risers! Yeeheehee!"  
  
Tea stared blankly, but Kaiba, having waved aside the fact that Lona was part cat and insane for the moment, said, "You mean--the Necro Clann! The dead-risers! The shadow-people...that can only mean..."  
  
Now Tea caught on too. "Chaos! The Chaos beings who attacked us last time, at the fortress! Wait--if she was one of Necro Clann....what's she doing here? And...why does she have fur? She can't be a Clanner."  
  
Lona looked at them seriously. "Not 'apposed to talka 'bout Lona, not 'apposed to say 'er name, Lona 'apposed to be deaded! But Lona not deaded! Yeeheehee! Me a half-breed, me parents all stoned-stoned, blood eveywhere, yeeheehee! Lona's okay wivout da dead-risers, they not want Lona, Lona not want them, Lona's parents not dead-risers, Lona's parents not same, me a half-breed! Yeeheehee! Me not need the dead-risers, they not want Lona, but they gonna make you deaded! Watcha you out for the dead- risers, they gonna make you deaded! Yeeheehee! Dead-risers coming, you can't fight 'em, they make you deaded! Lona okay, can't make Lona deaded wiv a big shiny steel! Yeeheehee! Lona's okay, me okay!"  
  
Tea slowly began working out Lona's story from her baby-talk and ill- use of pronouns. "Her parents weren't Necro Clanners? They must have come from some other World or something, and asked the Necro Clann for help...they were two different species, so she's a half-breed, but the Necro Clann didn't like that, so they tried to kill her...and...they want to kill us? Is that right, Lona?"  
  
Lona gave an exaggerated nod. "Yup yup, atsa right, Lona not deaded, me a half-breed, dead-risers wanna make you deaded, you not make it, Lona did, you not gonna, you's all losted, rabbits not know where dead-risers live, you walks into 'em an' they makes you deaded! Me know eveyfing abouta mounting, me 'elp you, Lona 'elp you, me not let 'em make you deaded! Yeeheehee, they couldn' make me deaded, couldn' get Lona! Yeeheehee!"  
  
Tea and Kaiba stared at her. Finally, the silence was broken by an incredulous (and consequently sarcastic) Kaiba. "Oh, that's just great. Now that we have a crazy half-breed psychopath to help us, we can't possibly go wrong. Perfect!"  
  
Lona seemed to miss the sarcasm. She stopped giggling and nodded eagerly. "Yup yup! Lona 'elp you, Lona not deaded, they try ta make 'er deaded, they not get me, me 'elp you, you 'elp me, take me wiv you, yeh? Yeh? Lona wantsa go wiv you, Lona 'elp you, me 'elp you, you sees, Lona not deaded, please a please, Lona wantsa come, me wantsa come wiv you!" She looked up at them pitifully. "Lona smart, me smart, me c'n 'elp you, Lona knows a lotta stuff." She sniffed at them. "Lona knows, me knows, you 'ave drakky-light, real real bright, lotsa light in you!" She turned to Tea. "An' you gotta moon-dark light, lotsa bright-dark, little Seer, but thatsa moon-dark thing, doesn' tella footure, but you knows when you's frens is in troubba, needa you's 'elp. Lona knows, me sees, me c'n 'elp you, Lona 'elp!"   
This prompted more stares. Finally, Tea said, "You can...smell...our magic?"  
  
Lona laughed raucously, rolling about on the ground. "No no, me no smell, justa see ifa you smell like dead-risers or steel-masters, me sees, Lona sees you's bright-fire, all inside, me sees it, 'cause me a half- breed, Lona sees the inside-fire. Lona wantsa come, me come wiv you, yeh?"  
  
Tail waving, she crouched on all fours, looking up at them hopefully. Tea was about to suggest that they could not bring Lona with them, since they were about to do something incredibly dangerous, when to her total surprise, Kaiba agreed.  
  
"....all right. You can come with us."  
  
Lona leaped up happily, standing in a half-crouch with her hands in front of her chest, still holding her latern. "Me alla lone, nobody like Lona 'cause me a half-breed, but you look out fa me, drakky-fire, kin-sign, you look out fa me, yeh? Don't travva no more today, stoppa stop, can'ta go aroun' wivva inside-mind eaters, make you deaded inside, worsen' stop breavin'. You stoppa stop, Lona knows, me 'elp you."  
  
They did indeed stop, Lona sitting on a boulder like a guard dog while the two exhausted travelers and their guides collapsed into sleep immediately. Just before she slept, Tea wondered...why had Lona asked to come with them? And why had Kaiba, of all people, agreed? 


	19. Secrets and Lies

Chapter 19--Secrets and Lies  
  
Yuugi, Mike and Benjamin, having finally reached the town and defeated all of the various enemies who wished to stop them, entered the Gym. The Gym Leader was an ordinary-looking lady, in her ordinary-looking (and perfectly symmetrical) Gym. She smiled at them (in an ordinary manner) and asked them if they wished to challenge her (also in a perfectly ordinary manner). When she discovered that she had two challengers, she proposed a tag-team battle. They readily agreed.  
  
To keep Mike updated on the battle, Bikaymon gave him a running commentary. As Benjamin and Yuugi selected their Pokemon, he whispered, "Watch--they'll probably choose Taru and Spark."  
  
After a short conference, the two challengers did indeed choose these Pokemon. The Leader, smiling, selected two Pokemon. "I choose--Flash and Smash, the all-star team!"  
  
An Eevee and a Gruff, a common mountain goat-looking Pokemon, appeared. The Eevee, Flash, leaped onto Smash's head. Benjamin and Taru began to attack, while Yuugi and Spark stood looking confused.  
  
Bikaymon interjected, "Benjamin could beat them in about three seconds on his own, but with Yuugi....I'm not so sure."  
  
Looking at them, Mike privately agreed. While Benjamin and Taru executed a variety of dodging moves in battle with both Flash and Smash, who were an almost perfect team, Yuugi said, "Okay, Spark, you should...um...you need to...uh...well, maybe we should just wait."  
  
Taru charged Smash, and Flash, seemingly anticipating this, leaped from its head. Taru , however, was ready, and jumped to meet it. Finally, Benjamin shouted, "Water Gun!" The two Pokemon were soaked, but not heavily damaged.  
  
Yuugi whispered frantically, "What should we do!?"  
  
_Yuugi, water conducts electricity. Use Thundershock!_ Yami said helpfully, having realized Benjamin's strategy.  
  
"Oh, right! Spark, use Thundershock!"  
  
As the Gym Leader, distracted by Yuugi's one-sided conversation, muttered, "Who is he talking to?", her two Pokemon were knocked out.  
  
While she returned them, Mike walked over and whispered, "He's crazy."  
  
The Leader handed Yuugi and Benjamin their Symmetry badges, which were circular with a symmetrical pattern of an "x" dividing the circle into four quarters that contained a dot each, then hurried away, apparently believing Mike.  
  
Mike thought this was hilarious, and laughed uproariously. Unexpectedly, Benjamin joined in. Initially, his feelings about Mike's arrival had been mixed; Benjamin had known Mike when he and the Digidestineds fought together in the Digital World, and Benjamin naturally assumed that Mike would dislike him or be uneasy around him because he was half-Darkling. Mike, however, liked Benjamin for himself, regardless of his species, and so Benjamin had become more comfortable and relaxed in the presence of two people he was loyal to--his friends.  
  
Yuugi, however, was not amused. He looked downcast; being different from everyone else did have its downsides. No one ever said being a Guardian was easy.  
  
"No matter where I go, people think I'm crazy!"  
  
_ So what?_ Yami said firmly. It was largely his fault that people thought Yuugi was crazy, but as far as he was concerned, their opinions were unimportant. _You still won.  
_  
Benjamin was in agreement with Yami, although he couldn't hear the spirit. "It makes no difference what others think of you as long as you know what you think of yourself."  
  
Mike, also regaining control of himself, said, "So, where to next?"  
  
Benjamin pointed to the mountain in the distance. "Up that mountain."  
  
They started off together, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead as a team. Although the group's team spirit had initially been strained, they were developing a sense of comaradary as they traveled together and learned more about each other. None of them was unduly worried about what lay ahead. How could they have known that the ugly specter of the past was about to strike them?  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The mountain was a dangerous place. The foothills, covered in scrub oak and brush, concealed treacherous pitfalls and deep chasms. Luckily, the Mountain League had lined the deepest and most dangerous of these cataracts with guardrails. Despite this, the unwary traveler could run into trouble. In short, it was the perfect place for an ambush.  
  
Hidden in the bushes, the stranger smiled. "We have them now," she whispered. She gave a soft but sharp whistle, then hurried to a new position.  
  
At a wide area of the trail surrrounded by undergrowth about halfway up the mountain, Benjamin paused, his inhuman hearing catching something Mike and Yuugi missed. "What was that?"  
  
The identity of "that" became obvious as a single Clanner stepped out of the scrub oaks and bushes nearby. She smiled icily. "We are here to take the Summoner. Give him to us, and we may spare your pathetic lives."  
  
Mike scowled at her; no one got away with threatening his friends. "Which one?" he said, pulling out his crystals.  
  
The Clanner looked disdainfully at him. "You have no Summoning magic, human. Stay out of this if you wish to live. You are surrounded; there is no escape."  
  
Mike smiled at her with a confidence he did not feel. "Oh? And where are these "others" you talk about?"  
  
The Clanner whistled again, smiling triumphantly as more than a dozen Clanners abandoned their concealment, forming a circle around the travelers. Mike, however, noticed that they were glaring hatefully at the lead Clanner who had signaled them. Looking at her face, he saw no skull- like tattoos--instead, there was a pattern of bones on one cheek and a smoky, black starburst design on her forehead. Nudging Benjamin, he pointed this out.  
  
Benjamin nodded. "Yes--she is no Skull Clanner. Those markings are of Necro Clann, Clann of the Masters of the Dead, and wielders of the most feared and hated magic their World contains--necromancy."  
Mike shuddered. He had enough experience with necromancy to hate it deeply. It was outlawed in much of the Multiverse, and used only by the most immoral people.  
  
The leader smirked. "I am indeed a Necro Clanner, you filthy half- breed. I am Daria, sister of Kiendra, and I have been sent by the Overlord to stop your expedition for the Key even as my sister stops the quest of your pathetic friends. Give up now; you have no chance of survival!"  
  
Mike was about to step forward, loosening his sword in its sheath, when Benjamin stopped him. "We must not interfere. They must fight this battle."  
  
Mike saw, to his shock, that Yuugi, the last person to fight anyone, had already approached Daria. "It's me you've come to capture. Leave my friends out of this!"  
  
Daria scoffed. "You would fight me, little brat? And here I thought you and your half-breed friend so valued honor! Two against one is far from fair, Summoner."  
  
Benjamin scowled. "They have been watching us. They must know everything they can about us...this is more dangerous than I thought. If they know what I think they do...this is going to get worse."  
  
Mike was about to question him further when Daria spoke again. "Of course, your views on this matter may be a bit relaxed; I and my Clann do not associate ourselves with spirits, because we know them to be dishonorable and untrustworthy. Yours is no different!"  
  
"That's not true!"  
  
Daria looked at him in mock pity. "Isn't it? You have been betrayed once, Summoner. Are you so foolish as to risk it twice?"  
  
Yuugi was about to make an angry reply, but stopped. Only Benjamin correctly guessed why.  
  
_ This is my fight, Yuugi. Let me talk to her.  
  
_ "All right," Yuugi whispered, feeling worried.  
  
Mike nudged Benjamin again. "What's going on?" he asked, confused.  
  
Benjamin frowned. "I am not certain what Daria is talking about, but I believe it is connected to their first battle against the Overlord. Something happened, and Yuugi obviously knows little about it. Daria is goading them into an attack...but why?"  
  
Meanwhile, Daria and Yami continued to argue. Mike, however, was not paying attention. He and Benjamin were still trying to decipher Daria's strategy. "They could easily overpower us--why don't they attack?"  
  
Benjamin, who was listening to the argument, suddenly looked stricken. "No...Daria is less honorable than the Clanners we have faced in the past. I see her strategy now, I see what she is doing..."  
  
At this moment, Mike looked up. Yuugi/Yami had finally challenged Daria to a battle--or so he thought. Listening more closely, he became utterly confused.  
  
"Let's play a game."  
  
Mike turned to Benjamin. "What's going on?" he asked, now utterly lost.  
  
Benjamin watched Daria and Yami, face twisted in agony at what was about to happen to his friends. "A Shadow game. It is one of Yami's magical abilities. They will defeat Daria, but they will hurt themselves the most.  
  
Daria smiled. "Oh? You would challenge me? Very well. I accept, on one condition--only one of you may battle. You must choose. I also will choose my champion while you are deciding."  
  
Benjamin clenched his fist in anger and worry. "How can she do this to them?" he whispered. "The Overlord knows them better then I thought..."  
  
Mike still did not understand. "What's the problem? They'll win, won't they? What's so bad about that?"  
  
Benjamin turned to look at him, his eyes a deep, murky gray. "Don't you understand? "'They' won't be doing anything. By forcing them not to work as a team, Daria is using their greatest weakness. As much as he believes that he trusts Yami, Yuugi still does not know his motives for betraying him and his friends to the Overlord. Daria is working off the doubt that is already present. Like many Guardians, Yuugi and Yami are almost opposites in personality. Yuugi believes that fighting solves nothing; he battles only as a last resort, in self-defense. Yami is much more aggressive. They will not agree on what they should do next. Ordinarily, they would be able to use mind-fusion to battle together. You would not have noticed since you do not know them, but they have not been using this ability in their Gym Battles. That is because although Yuugi has forgiven him, he still does not fully trust Yami. Ordinarily, Yami would do what Yuugi asked him to. But if Yuugi's life is in danger, there' s no telling what could happen..."  
  
Mike was shocked. "Ben, we have to stop this! We have to do something!"  
  
Benjamin stayed Mike's hand. "We must let them resolve this conflict on their own. If they do not, they will never be able to work as a true team again. Their doubt will destroy them."  
  
Daria called something to the Skull Clanners in Clann Common. They appeared to be angry, shouting an obvious "no" at her in their own language. The Skull Clanners were scowling, glaring at Daria and muttering furiously to themselves--clearly, she had angered them.  
  
Mike and Benjamin were confused. "What's going on? What are they all so upset about?"  
  
Benjamin was about to reply that he didn't know when the Clanner standing behind them spoke, sounding both anguished and enraged. "Don't you understand? She has chosen her champion--Kanshi."  
They turned toward the aforementioned champion, who had stepped forward, looking white and scared. It was the child they faced twice before, and who, as they were informed by the Clanner, had no choice but to accept the challenge.  
  
Yuugi and Yami, meanwhile, were experiencing their own problems, just as Benjamin--and the Overlord--had predicted. Yuugi, whispering so that the Clanners could not hear him, said, "We can't hurt him--he's just a kid, this isn't his fault!"  
  
_We have to do this, Yuugi. There is no other way,_ Yami said firmly. Usually, he would have refrained from doing something against Yuugi's wishes, but this was a dangerous situation--his place to act.  
  
"We can't! I would have fought Daria, but he didn't choose to do this, we have no reason to harm him!" Yuugi said desperately, knowing both that convincing Yami not to fight was nearly impossible and that he could not bring himself to hurt this child.  
  
_There are no other options,_ Yami said coldly. He knew that there was no other way--the Clanners weren't going to back down, so neither would he.  
  
"We can't do this. We can't fight!" Yuugi whispered, now frantic--he was vividly reminded of the day Yami had almost knocked Kaiba off a building because he didn't want to lose a game. The only difference was that back then, Yuugi had been able to stop the spirit.  
  
_ We must. There is no other way_, Yami said finally. In his mind, any further discussion was pointless; he knew he was right and that was all there was to it. It never even occured to him that a nonviolent solution might be better. That simply wasn't his way of dealing with obstacles.  
  
Yuugi would never agree to this, of course, but at this point, Yuugi ceased to have any say in the matter, or indeed to know what was going on at all. When Yuugi had first completed the Millennium Puzzle, Yami was only able to help him by taking over his body and dealing with dangerous situations. The only way he could do that was to force Yuugi's mind out of the way, causing him to have no memory of what happened. Later, Yami learned to work with Yuugi, allowing both of their minds to be present within his body at the same time, but he was still able to force Yuugi out if he needed or wanted to. Knowing that Yuugi was too pacifistic to fight an innocent person, Yami put this ability to use. As Benjamin had said, when Yuugi's life or the lives of his friends were in danger, there was no telling what Yami would do.  
  
Benjamin turned to Mike, his voice filled with anguish on behalf of his friends. "Daria has defeated them. It doesn't matter now what they do next; they have already lost this battle." Seeing Mike's confusion, he explained further. "Daria has not succeeded in capturing Yuugi, but she has succeeded in causing them to doubt each other. Yuugi would never harm an innocent person, but if Yuugi's life is in danger, Yami will, whether Yuugi wants him to or not. Many Guardian pairs argue at some point, but when two minds must share one body, conflicts become very serious indeed. That child is about to die."  
  
Mike, turning back to the battle in disbelief, was shocked to see both the Clanner and Yuugi (or rather, Yami) standing on the narrow guard rail of the deep fissure beside the road. He quickly realized that Benjamin was right--the Clanner appeared to be nervous, and was sweating in the cold mountain air as he tried to maintain his balance. Yami, on the other hand, was not worried at all. His balance was perfect, possibly because it was a Shadow Game. In Shadow Games, nothing is normal.  
  
Mike was about to suggest that they should not be engaged in such a dangerous activity when a light breeze sprang up. The Clanner child slipped, wind milling his arms wildly in a last-ditch attempt to regain his balance, then fell downwards into the yawning maw of the chasm, his mouth open in a silent scream.  
  
Yami stepped down from the rail, saying coldly, "Those with weak hearts always lose the Shadow Games."  
  
At that moment, Mike grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him vigorously. "WHAT THE F--- DID YOU DO THAT FOR!?"  
  
He was, however, too late. Yuugi blinked tiredly at him. "Huh? What happened?" he said, face blank. Looking around, he realized that time had passed since he last remembered something. Trying to find a reason for this, Yuugi immediatly thought of Yami, but at once pushed it from his mind. He didn't want to believe that the spirit had taken over his body against his will and forced Yuugi's mind out, since the only reason he would do that was to do something Yuugi didn't want him to.  
  
Mike stared at him, mouthing silently. He was completely speechless with shock, partially because Yami had just killed someone and partially because Yuugi had no idea that it had happened.  
  
Benjamin, seeing Mike's predicament, stepped forward. As scrupulously honest as he was, he could not bring himself to tell Yuugi the truth. "Nothing happened. We won."  
  
Daria also sputtered incoherently before yelling, "You think you've won, you half-breed? Think again! The Overlord will kill you all, you filthy freak of nature!"  
  
With that, she Gated out. Skull Clann, however, stood in respectful silence as one of their number stepped forward, shaking with anger. "You have murdered my son, and I shall not forget it. My people are dying, humans, and you are the murderers. Your faces are engraved in our hearts-- you will die for this." Then, overcome with grief, he wept unashamedly as he turned away.  
  
Mike called after him, "Why don't you blame the people who forced your son to fight, instead of us? We never wanted to do this!"  
  
A different Clanner stepped forward. Her face was also streaked with tears, but she seemed calmer than the bereaved parent. "You do not understand," she whispered. "He has lost his wife and now his son--both to humans. We have joined with the Overlord so that our Clann might survive. He states only the truth--our people are dying every day." Her face hardened. "And he is right--you are the murderers. Man is of cold and hate. You speak of empathy, yet you despise us. Your kind are arrogant killers, as are your kind, Darkling."  
  
Benjamin looked at her coldly. The Clanners had just hurt his friend in a way that was beyond physical pain, and now they accused him of being a murderer? "You think I am a Darkling? Daria was correct when she called me a half-breed freak of nature. I am half-human."  
  
He pulled up his sleeve, revealing a jagged scar on his upper arm. "This symbol means "half-breed" in Darkling Common. The Darklings carved it there. Do not speak to me of my people; I have none."  
  
The Clanner seemed dumbfounded by this speech, and turned to leave, but Yuugi stopped her. "Wait--we didn't kill anyone...no one died...did they?"  
  
The Clanner saw from the look of blank innocence on his face that he had no idea what had transpired. She sighed deeply. "Little one, you trust too easily. Though you are my enemy, I pity you. Much pain is given to hearts as innocent as yours."  
  
With that, she too left. All of the Skull Clanners filed past the fissure as one might file past a coffin, gazed into its depths, then walked away. When they had all disappeared into the wilderness, Benjamin said sadly, "We must keep moving. Come on..."  
  
As they were leaving, Yuugi saw a glittering object on the ground. Picking it up, he said, "What is this?"  
  
Benjamin and Mike also turned to look at it. It was a small, diamond- shaped crystal, unremarkable except for the incredible and ancient power they all felt within. As they all stared at it, they each heard a voice within their minds, saying that it could help them...that it could, and would, do anything....all but Mike, that is. Inside his mind, he saw scenes of terrible destruction, all of which would supposedly occur if he took the crystal.  
  
Upon discussing what they heard, it became apparent that none of them believed what it had told them (each message was different). Benjamin, who had been told that the crystal could help his dying World and insisted that everything it said was a lie, told Mike that he should take the crystal, since this was what it had told him not to do. Interestingly, he and Mike were the only two of the five willing to share what they had been told. Mike also discovered that, when touched to the screen of his Digivice, the crystal melted into it. When he reached in, however, he could take it out again. Deciding to leave it inside his Digivice, they traveled on.

-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
When night fell, Benjamin suggested that they make camp. They went about their tasks in a rather subdued manner. Benjamin told Mike and Yuugi that there was no need of a watch that night--the Clanners would mourn before they sought revenge. Mike, Benjamin, and Bikaymon quickly fell asleep, resting for the troubles they knew lay ahead.  
  
Yuugi, however, remained awake, staring into the darkness. One of the Clanners had been killed...but how? And why did he have no memory of it? A sudden suspicion that he had already tried to supress wormed its way back into his thoughts. "Yami? You didn't kill that Clanner...did you?" he asked, sounded half fearful that the answer would be yes and half hopeful that it would be no.  
  
Yami hesitated for a moment. _No.  
_  
"I didn't think so...I wonder how he did die?" Yuugi said, feeling relieved and guilty for suspecting the spirit at the same time. With that he fell asleep.  
  
Yami, however, remained awake, attempting to rationalize his lie to Yuugi. He had not directly caused the Clanner's death; those with weak hearts always lost the Shadow Games, nothing could change that...they would have killed all of them, there had been no other way. Despite these logical, if slightly untrue, explanations, he remained awake for a long time, feeling incredibly guilty, not least because Yuugi had unquestioningly believed him.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Inside the Fortress of the Overlord, Daria made her report. She knelt on the steps in front of a large wall alcove, bowing her head before a flat, glassy surface that looked almost like a window. "My Lord, I regret to say that we failed to capture the Summoner. We also experienced one casualty."  
  
Behind the glass, colors twisted together and pulled apart again at random; it was the pure chaos of the Wilds. A sinister voice echoed in the chamber, or perhaps in Daria's mind. It matters not, faithful servant. You have failed to capture the Summoner, but you have succeeded in bringing them doubt. Without their ability to work as a Guardian team, they will not escape my trap. I have laid my plans; my followers are awaiting my command. Go now; you shall not be punished.  
  
Daria bowed again and left, inwardly relieved that her failure had not angered the Overlord. She fervently hoped that her sister Kiendra would be able to fulfill her mission, so that no part of the plan would fail.


	20. Diplomats and Dragons

Chapter 20--Diplomats and Dragons  
  
Joey and Tristan hurried along after their captors, anxious not to disobey the Clanners lest their reward be a knife to the throat. After trudging through endless patches of swamp, which was a filthy gray-green- brown sludge for as far as the eye could see, they reached a group of dwellings made from swamp grasses and a thick clay, probably made from dried swamp mud. As they were hurried toward the largest dwelling, they caught a glimpse of Clanners, with facial tattoos like those of the scouts, peering at them from their doorways. Before they could take a closer look, however, they were shoved through the mud and weed door.  
  
Inside, the dark hall was lit with lanterns, and at one end was a dais made of thick, solid wood. A more observant traveler might have realized that the presence of this type of wood in a swamp signaled importance and authority. Joey and Tristan, however, just thought it was strange. On the dais was a throne-like chair, also made of the precious wood. A figure arose from this chair. He bore a short staff of office, and wore a long, gray cloak. His hair was shaded with silver, but his face was young--he could be no more than thirty. Anger and suspicion were etched into every line of his face.  
  
"So! You have intruded in my domain, humans. What is your purpose here? What is this new magic that you bring? Strange things are happening throughout the World, events which may yet drag the Shiirai Clann into war. You are strangers, and my Clann have long remained isolated, killing any who dare to come within our territory without permission. We have remained separate so long...shall I change the ways of my people now? I do not wish to break our tradition. I do not wish for my people to be harmed. I do not wish it, but trouble has come to seek us out. Strangers, state your purpose within my lands. Do not fear to speak freely. I am willing to listen to you, strangers. New times mean new ways."  
  
Joey and Tristan looked at each other nervously. "Uh....we came.....we came to get....to get the....uh....the Seal of Shadow....we need to get the Key of Aramas, and we....uh....we thought.....that maybe you would....would....give us the Seal," Tristan said halting, barely able to get the words out. He was half in awe of and half terrified of this impressive figure, and wasn't quite sure what to say.  
  
The Chieftenn stared at them imperiously. "You wish me, Shin-ka, Chieftenn of the Shiirai Clann, to simply give you the Seal? I cannot allow you to have it without prove of your worthiness. You must prove that your intentions are honorable. I will not except words alone; I need proof! I need to know that you are worthy of the Key. What use have you for it? It can be used only by one of pure heart....your hearts have not the purity required..."  
  
"What? What purity? We just want da Key, dat's all. We don' have ta use it yet," Joey said, feeling nervous but putting on a brave front. He wasn't afraid of a fight with these people, and he wanted them to know it.  
  
"Why find the Key if not to use it? But you do not know...you still think of the Key as an ordinary key...you think it unlocks a door? Well...you are almost right, but...the Key does unlock something, but we don't know what it is. The Key is special. It is not an ordinary key, but a Key which unlocks...many things. It can only be used by one of pure heart, and so no one has ever discovered its true use. However, my Clann has done much research into the matter of the Key, and we believe that it will obey the needs of its master to a certain extent. It will open the doors which are closed to its master, it will unlock....possibilities. It will open new ways...you seek the Key, but your hearts are impure...you have been tainted in the manner of your kind...you are only human...what use have you for the Key?" Shin-ka said softly, looking pensive. He desired to do what was right for his people, but he also knew that the Overlord must not go unopposed. His was a difficult position to be in.  
  
"Look, it doesn't matter what our hearts are like, we're going to get the Key no matter what it takes to help our friend!" Tristan said, pulling himself together. Vice needed help, and he wasn't about to let the Darkling warrior down.  
  
Shin-ka smiled at them, his face softening. "Ah, but your hearts are brave. You cannot understand...you cannot remember, you are too young...I am one of the few who has knowledge of the old days. We came so close to death...war stains so many hearts...hate and suspicion broke the Key. Only love and trust can repair it. Only one whose heart holds no hate can use the Key. My Clann would give the Seal to this one. We believe that the one who may use the Key will be pure of heart in that they will be innocent. Their hands will not be stained with the blood of our wars...they will not bear hatred or mistrust...you would not understand, your kind looks down upon those who trust too easily, but this one will come. Neither of you is the one.  
Prove to me that you have some knowledge of the one, and I will grant you the Seal for that one's sake."  
  
Joey and Tristan held a hasty whispered conference. "Do we know anyone whose heart is pure and all dat otha stuff?" Joey muttered to his friend, looking confused. "We might know someone without realizing it! What if we do know someone like that, but we forget about them?" Tristan whispered back, sounding panicked. They had to get the Seal or let everyone down--if they didn't think of something fast, the plan would fall apart!  
  
Shin-ka was growing impatient. "Well? Do you know the one or not? I can see the uncertainty in your eyes...I will do this for you, if you permit me. Allow me to enter your memories. If you have met the one, even briefly, I will know. Only one of you need allow me access to your mind," he said kindly, seeing the terrified looks on the two boys' faces. He meant no ill will toward them, but he had to do what was best for his people.  
  
Joey and Tristan looked at each other nervously. This guy was going to go through their minds? But if it helped Vice... Joey stood up, trying to keep his voice from shaking. The idea of someone going through his mind was much more frightening than any fight could be, but.... "All right, I'll do it. We need da Key, so dere's no otha way."  
  
Shin-ka nodded, looking faintly impressed. "An admirable sentiment. Give me your hand--it is required for my magic...I must enter your mind..."  
  
Tristan watched Shin-ka use his magical mind-reading (that was how he thought of it) on Joey, and was surprised that it took only a few seconds. Shin-ka gaped at them, clearly impressed by something. "I did not know," he said, his voice filled with awe. "We had always thought that the one would be a Clanner, but I see now that this is not the case. When you speak to the one again, tell him that the Shiirai Clann also fights. Now...there is one last difficulty. The Seal cannot be given for nothing. You must retrieve it alone..."  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Tea, Kaiba, Frith, and Windpaw all woke up very tired (it was still dark out), very cold, and very miserable. Searching for a demon in the middle of a blizzard on a mountain populated by Clanners who want to kill you can have this effect. The incredibly bizarre Lona, however, was unfazed.  
  
"Now you's waked up, tella Lona where you's going, me knowa way dere, me 'elp, yeh?" the half-cat said energetically. Apparently, traveling with Tea and Kaiba was the highlight of her life so far.  
  
They stared for a second before remembering who Lona was and that she was terminally insane. Tea sighed deeply. "Sure, Lona...we're going to find a demon..."  
  
Lona, however, completely ignored her. Tea might have been inaudible and invisible for all the attention the half-cat paid her. She put away her lamp in a small and otherwise empty bag she wore on her back--it was hard to see because her clothes were in such disrepair. Hopping on top of a rocky outcropping, stared at the horizon. "Yup yup, gotta 'urry, night- dark come an' you not wanna fight a shadow-monsta inna dark, all strong then, betta find 'im quick quick, fight 'im while itsa day! Wherea you's going, kin-sign?"  
  
More stares. Then--"Are you talking to me?" Kaiba asked incredulously.  
  
Lona nodded. "Yup yup! Lona talkin' ta you, you gotta kin-sign, lotsa light, Lona sees."  
  
A long period of silence followed this statement. Lona's curious baby-talk made it difficult to understand what she was trying to say, and the two travelers spent several minutes decoding it.  
  
Tea waved a hand in front of the half-cat's eyes. "Uh...Lona? What's a kin-sign?" Silence. Tea turned, very exasperated to Kaiba. "Oh, you ask her!"  
  
"Why me?" Kaiba replied coldly, not wanting to try to understand Lona. Taking the time to understand people meant you cared about them, and you couldn't care about anyone because that made you weak. Kaiba knew he couldn't afford to be weak.  
  
"Because she won't listen to me!" Tea snapped back, not aware of Kaiba's internal reasoning system.  
  
"...fine...Lona, what's a kin-sign?" Kaiba said, finally giving in. In truth, he too wished to know what Lona was talking about; it did concern him, after all.  
  
Lona looked up innocently "Kin-sign? You shoulda know that, you 'as one! Itsa sign, lotta lotta light, 'urts ta getta kin-sign, bigga big tie, somebody else gotta one, links yous tagever. 'Ow you not knowa that, you gotta one in yer 'and!"  
  
Tea stared at Lona, completely nonplussed. Kaiba however, nodded. "Oh...I know what she's talking about."  
  
He opened his left hand. On the palm was a thin-lined scar with a curious shape. For those who could read the Star Tongue, it meant "brother." For the uninitiated, it looked like a cult scar. It was, however, a powerful magical link, just as Lona had said.  
  
She nodded. "Yup yup, you gotta kin-sign, lotta light. But you," she said , turning to Tea, "You gotta moon-dark light, Lona sees it, me not know 'bout that, you gotta lotta light!"  
  
Tea had no idea what "moon-dark light" was supposed to mean, but let the issue rest for now. "Fine...you tell her where we're going."  
  
Kaiba, as confused as Tea (but more reluctant to admit it), stood up. "We're looking for a demon. How can you help us?"  
  
"Lona 'elp, me 'elp, Lona knowa 'bout shadow-monsta!"  
  
"I think it's a mistake to trust her..." Kaiba said with a glare so practiced it should have been trademarked.  
  
"You were the one who said she could come with us in the first place!" Tea protested; Kaiba was extremely good at aggravating people, as she was rapidly discovering.  
  
"I was tired," the young CEO replied flatly, not meeting Tea's eyes. Why had he said Lona could come with them? He hated to admit it, but...he had simply had a feeling that he should.  
  
Lona watched the two humans argue for a while, then interrupted. "You's commin'? Gotta 'urry, night-time comma soon, can't fight a shadow- monsta inna night! C'mon, Lona 'elp, me 'elp, me show ya!"  
  
The two travelers Desummoned the freezing hares and marched resolutely after their speedy, if more than slightly crazy, guide. Tea had deep misgivings about anyone who would trust Kaiba, but followed Lona anyway. They had to find the Key...Vice had asked them to.  
  
They paused at midday, or rather what they thought was midday--it was still overcast and cold. Lona curled up on a rock to watch her new companions sit tiredly. She was only mildly surprised that they did not argue; they looked too tired to talk much.  
  
Tea looked at Lona. "Where are we, Lona? How much farther do we have to go?"  
  
Silence. Tea sighed. Lona had been steadfastly refusing to speak to her all day; if anything, Lona seemed to be afraid of her. She would take questions or directions only from Kaiba, which both of the humans thought was bizarre.  
  
Tea sat up. "Ask her where we are."  
  
"Why don't you ask her for once?" Kaiba said in annoyance. He had been playing interpreter all day, and was growing tired of it.  
  
"Because she's still pretending I don't exist, that's why!" Tea snapped at him. Usually, she was a cheerful, energetic person. But between the miserable weather, Lona's bizarre behavior, and Kaiba, her good disposition was beyond wearing thin; if it got any thinner it would be nonexistent.  
  
"She's not pretending you don't exist; she's ignoring you," Kaiba replied, oddly confident in this assessment. He was not usually a good judge of people, but he could see that Lona, although she was trying very hard to pay no attention to Tea, definetly acknowledged her existence--she stayed as far away from her as possible.  
  
"How come she trusts you?" Tea said, voicing a question she had been puzzled by since they met Lona; Kaiba wasn't exactly a nuturing, welcoming person.  
  
"Because she's afraid of you," Kaiba replied flatly, blue eyes unreadable. Lona flinched visibly and shied away whenever Tea went near her--the cat-girl was clearly afraid that Tea would hurt her.  
  
"That doesn't make any sense at all!" Tea said in despair. She couldn't understand why Lona seemed to dislike her, and it was bothering her--rejection was hard on anyone.  
  
"How do you know? You haven't asked her why she won't talk to you," Kaiba replied coldly, knowing full well that Lona was afraid of Tea and that since the girl hadn't done anything to cause such a reaction, it must have to do with Tea's magic, which Lona had spoken of suspiciously earlier. He refused to mention this, though--it would make him look like he actually cared, and of course he didn't.  
  
"Oh, just ask her where we are already," Tea finally said, giving in to Kaiba's refusal to be even remotely friendly or helpful.  
  
Kaiba whistled, like someone calling a cat. "Lona, where are we?" he asked as the cat-girl scampered over to him, almost bizarrely eager to help.  
  
Lona grinned, her pointed, mismatched teeth sticking out. "Onna mounting, don't shout so loud, we's real real close to da dead-risers, gotta be hush-hush!" she said, happy to be helping her new "friend." Lona had the mind of a child; she had an instinctive and previously denied need for comfort and affection from someone--anyone. She had never truly had a family, but she knew that having a kin-sign meant Kaiba did. Surely, if he cared about someone enough to experience the pain of getting the sign for them, he must be a good family member.  
  
"Okay, go tell Tea that," Kaiba said with surprising patience. He ordinarily had no tolerance for other people; seeing Lona beg desperatley to go with them, however, had made him wonder...what if Mokuba was alone like that? Thinking of this had made him feel sympathetic toward Lona, although he would never have admitted that.  
  
Lona frowned, the effect magnified by her fang-like incisors. "Me not talka to 'er, Lona fraida 'er, she gotta moon-dark light, Lona not like 'er, me 'fraid!" she whined, crouching pitifully at Kaiba's feet.  
  
"What exactly is a moon-dark light?" Kaiba said, feeling frustrated but not losing his temper.  
  
"Itsa inside-fire, lotta people gotta some, do a lotta fings, if ya knows 'ow it works! Dead-risers, steel-masters, lotsa lotsa inside-fire, somma moon-dark light, they's use it onna me, Lona not like it, stay 'way fromma moon-dark light!"  
  
Kaiba sighed, realizing that Lona was afraid of Tea because the girl's magic was similar to that of the people who had tried to kill Lona. He knew that Lona's fear was understandable, but it was still hard to deal with. "Look...Tea isn't a Clanner...she can't use her magic...you don't have to be afraid of her..."  
  
"Lona not trust 'er!" the cat-girl said stubbornly, glancing fearfully at Tea.  
  
Kaiba could be very stubborn himself, but he gave in, knowing that Lona's obstinancy came from reasonable fear. "Fine, I'll go tell her," he muttered, getting up and walking over to where Tea was sitting.  
  
Tea looked up. "What? Did she say where we are?"  
  
"Near the Necro Clann, I think," Kaiba replied, being civil for once. Even the CEO of Kaiba Corp. couldn't act cold and superior all the time.  
  
"Fine," Tea said shortly, hoping to keep up the lack of hostility as long as possible.  
  
At that moment, Lona bounced over, looking frightened. "Shhh! Gotta be hush-hush, somebody commin, 'ide now!"  
  
She whisked out of sight, then popped up again. "You's commin? C'mon, we's gotta go 'ide!" she said in an urgent, hissing whisper.  
  
They followed Lona, who knew her area of the mountain by heart, underneath a small overhang. It was cramped, and the two humans had to sit hunched over to avoid brushing uncomfortably against the ceiling. Lona squeezed in next to Kaiba, making herself as small as possible.  
  
"'Kay, now we's waitin' 'ere 'till da dead-risers and de ov'ers go 'way, Lona not lika dead-risers, bad-dangerous, very very bad, lotta light, tryta make Lona deaded, me still breavin', but theys not know dat! Shhh!"  
  
She seemed to be petrified with fear of the Necro Clanner, as well as the "others" traveling with them, whoever they were. Her fears were not unfounded; booted feet tramped past their hiding place, accompanied by voices speaking in the Clanner language.  
  
Lona, who understood some Clann Common, whispered, "They's lookin' for yous, spreadin' out, gonna stand there 'till dey finds yous, den make you deaded. We's trapped! What we do, kin-sign?"  
  
Lona's human allies, however, were also at a loss. "What do we do? The Clanners will find us before long, we can't just sit here until they do..." Tea whispered uncertainly, not sure what the best move was. Fighting the Clanners in their own homes didn't seem like a good idea.  
  
"We have to fight them. There's no other way," Kaiba said softly, feeling just as frightened and uncertain as his companions but covering it by scowling even more than usual.  
  
"But--that's so dangerous! We'll be way outnumbered!" Tea whispered back, knowing that the Clanners had a clear advantage. If everyone had been there, she would have felt safe, but with Kaiba...  
  
"You think hiding like rats in a trap until they find us and kill us is a better idea?" Kaiba snapped, feeling very nervous himself. He knew that the Clanners, with greater numbers and a home-field advantage, would be near-impossible to beat.  
  
Lona looked up, petrified with fear of the people who had nearly killed her and probably caused her mental instability. "Better 'urry, dey's commin' closa..."  
  
Tea and Kaiba resolutely slid out from under the overhang and stood up; if they had to fight the Clanners, they would at least do it face-to- face and not hiding in terror. The Clanners, alert to the slightest sound, immediately spotted them and surrounded them. There were five, all with tattoos they could not identify--their markings were almost reptilian. A sixth Clanner, with Necro Clann tattoos, came to stand behind them.  
  
Lona scurried out, hiding behind her new-found friends. "Yeek! They's drakky-masters, bad-dangerous!"  
  
The leader of the Clanners looked at her grimly. "Indeed, you Darkling rat, we are of the Dracon Clann--Clann of the Masters of the Dragons. I am a Dragon Master, and I have come with orders to kill you. Prepare to die, human scum," he said coldly, hatred clear in his voice.  
  
Kaiba reached into his pocket, pulling out a single card.. "Oh yeah? Just wait..." he muttered, matching the Clanners glare for glare.  
  
The Clanners' laughter echoed around the deserted mountain. "You fool!" the leader said, seeming amused. "We have been watching you--we know that you are a dragon user. Do you really think it is an accident that the Dragon Masters have been sent to kill you? We have the ability to control dragons! Your mightiest creatures are useless! Face it, humans-- you are helpless."  
  
"Wrong!" Tea stepped forward, also pulling out a Summon card. "We'll never give in to you!" she said bravely. If there was one thing she had learned from her friends, it was to keep fighting no matter how hopeless things seemed.  
  
The Clanners stared at her in disbelief. A slender, graceful female Clanner stepped forward. "Surely you jest! You cannot mean to fight us, little child. We know that you are no warrior! Ah, but I see from your face that you are quite serious. Very well, then. Thunder and I shall face you in a one-on-one battle."  
  
From behind her arose a large, scaly form. Thunder was a powerful, vividly blue dragon. Yawning slightly, as if to show his feelings about the challenger, he flapped his wings, preparing himself for a fight. Tea swallowed hard. Behind her, Kaiba and Lona were temporarily rendered speechless.  
  
"I Summon--Luna, the moon fox!"  
  
Luna was indeed a beautiful, creamy-colored fox with a unusually long ears and a delicate, wise face. The sight of this seemingly defenseless animal facing a gigantic dragon was too much for Kaiba.  
  
"Are you crazy!? Do you really think that fox has any chance of defeating a dragon!?"  
  
Tea glared at him. "Just shut up," she said angrily. Turning back to the battle, she said, "Luna, attack!"  
The battle was certainly an odd one. Thunder, as a blue dragon, had the ability to emit lightning, but its attacks were rendered useless by Luna's incredibly powerful Lunar Shield. Finally, the frustrated dragon blasted the shield with all its might, causing the attack to rebound upon itself and knock it unconscious.  
  
Thunder's master quickly recalled it, shocked and appalled. "How? HOW? How did you defeat my dragon, you human? How could a filthy, murdering human like you defeat my dragon!? HOW!?" she shouted in disbelief.  
  
Tea sniffed disapprovingly. "Humans aren't all murderers, you know!"  
  
The Clanner spat on the ground. "You are a human, like all humans. You have no true battle discipline," she said flatly.  
  
Tea was about to make an angry reply, but Kaiba beat her to it. "You're the one who's pathetic. You misuse your dragon to the extent that you can't even beat a weak fox. You have no concept of its true power. You refer to yourself as a dragon master, but you fail to see that a dragon is only truly powerful when it is an equal, not a slave," he said, sounding furious himself, although much calmer than the Clanner.  
  
Tea was so surprised to hear Kaiba, of all people, advocate teamwork in any form that she didn't even complain about his slight on Luna. The Clanner, on the other hand, was incoherent with anger. She was on the verge of attacking them in a frenzy, but the small amount of reason left to her in her rage made her instead decide to throw her lance at Kaiba instead. This probably would have achieved their goal--kill the humans-- but Lona intercepted it, snatching it her teeth in midair.  
  
Dropping it on the ground, she said, "Shoopid drakky-masters, not got no honor, always talkin' 'bout honor, yous not 'ave it, go 'way, you's not 'urt me's frens. Go 'way!"  
  
The Clanners, although furious at being insulted by a Darkling half- breed like Lona, did indeed leave, but not before shouting after them, "You will not survive, humans! You will be defeated!"  
  
With that, they were gone. Tea sighed with relief. "I can't believe we survived! This is bad, you guys--more Clanns are joining the Overlord. And they're right..we won't be able to fight them off much longer..."  
  
Lona grinned cheerfully, happy to see the Clanners leave and feeling much better about Tea. "Don't worry, a'most there, justa little more, den yous be atta shadow-monsta place. C'mon dark-moon light, c'mon kin-sign, we's go now, yeh?"  
  
Tea grimaced. "I wish she would stop calling me that..."  
  
Kaiba, equally frustrated, stopped. "Lona, listen to me. My name is Seto Kaiba, her name is Tea Gardner. Got it?"  
  
Lona smiled benignly. "Se-to Kai, Tay Gar'na, dat right?"  
  
"I suppose that will have to do," he said wearily.  
  
With this technicality worked out, the group marched stoically on, ever nearer to their goal. 


	21. Apocalypse Junk

Author's note: if you don't understand all the weird objects they pick up, don't worry. It's not essential to the Chaos War; in fact, it concerns the Apocalypse War, which is a completely different story and is not elaborated on in this fanfic. However, because both Mike and Benjamin play a role in both wars, and because this happens during their Key quest, I felt I should put it in. If it gets too crazy for you, ignore it. ;;  
  
Chapter 21--Apocalypse Junk  
  
When Yuugi woke up the next morning, he did a double take. Next to him was a small, wooden toy figure. He stared at it for a moment before realizing that it was impossible and sitting up, screaming. Benjamin and Mike both woke instantly, drawing their swords, before realizing that there was no visible threat. Mike looked at Yuugi, who was in a state of shock.  
  
Holding up the toy man, he gasped, "Look...it's...it's..."  
  
Mike stared at him. "It's a toy man. So what?"  
  
Yuugi stared back at him, looking slightly insane. "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE! HOW CAN IT BE HERE!?"  
  
Mike was still confused, and becoming unnerved by Yuugi's strange behavior. "What...isn't it yours?"  
  
"NO IT'S NOT MINE! IT JUST APPEARED FOR NO REASON!" Yuugi shouted at him.  
  
Benjamin intervened before the conversation became too bizarre. Picking up the toy man, he almost dropped it in surprise. "It's important!"  
  
Seeing the blank (although slightly calmer, in Yuugi's case) looks that the others gave him, he said, "I don't know why, but it feels very important. I'll keep it in my backpack; we may need it." He took off his backpack, one of his few possessions and a gift from the Digidestineds, and placed the toy man carefully inside.  
  
With that, they continued on, reaching Zephryville by nightfall. They decided to sleep at the Pokemon Center that night. Mike and Benjamin both stayed awake; Mike didn't want to sleep and Benjamin wanted to look at the stars, so scarce in his own World. Yuugi, however, fell asleep, and promptly had the most bizarre dream he had ever experienced.  
  
Benjamin's backpack opened up, and the toy man walked out. Yuugi watched this uncomprehendingly until the toy man nudged him, saying, "Hey-- wake up!"  
  
Yuugi sat up, speaking incoherently. "You're...you're....you can't be alive....you're a toy man....this is impossible..."  
  
The toy man looked disgruntled. "I'm not a toy man, I'm the voice of destiny." Turning to Yami, who was also wide awake and staring at the toy man in shock, he said, "Can't you calm him down or something?"  
  
Yami, however, was as incoherent as Yuugi. "But...but....you're....you can't..."  
  
Yuugi stared at the toy man, then looked at Yami. "You can see him too?" Yami nodded, and Yuugi smiled in relief. "Great! That means I'm not crazy. So, what did you want to tell me, toy man?"  
  
The exasperated toy man, seeing that his audience was finally listening to him, cleared his throat and began. "There are important things beginning--your quest for this Key isn't all that's going on here. You're going to find other things, things that will look like ordinary junk, but you have to keep them. Look for anything out of place, anything at all that seems strange. And be warned--some of the things you'll find will be incredibly evil. When you wake up, there will be a broken clock next to you. Keep it. Oh, and tell the others what I said--I've caused them all to be asleep, they won't wake up until I'm gone. When they do, they won't realize that any time has passed. Don't forget, I'm not the toy man--the toy man isn't alive yet. I'm the voice of destiny, and don't ask me why or how. Got it? Good. Now go back to sleep."  
  
He turned and retreated into Benjamin's backpack, where he became a lifeless toy man once more. Yuugi shrugged and complied with the toy man's last command. "Maybe when I wake up, there won't be a clock. Maybe this is all just a bad dream..."  
  
Yuugi woke up the next morning. Before opening his eyes, he whispered, "Please don't let there be a clock." He rolled over.  
  
A small, black clock stood beside him. It was broken.  
  
Yuugi groaned. The toy man really had spoken; now he had to convince Mike and Benjamin that it was more than a crazy dream.  
  
Mike looked at the clock. "Yuugi, why do you have a broken clock?"  
  
In a rush, Yuugi explained his not-quite-dream. As he did so, he noticed that something seemed strange about Mike. His eyes...they were somehow wrong. This became more obvious in the next few minutes. No one was ready for what happened that day. Benjamin believed Yuugi at once. Mike, however, was uncharacteristically cynical about the entire thing. When they stepped outside, they saw a small, silver ball bearing. It was oddly flawless.  
  
Yuugi immediately picked it up. "It must be another one of the special objects!"  
  
Mike, his eyes more wrong than ever, knocked it out of his hand. "I don't believe this whole thing with the toy man. If it's really important, this won't do anything to it."  
  
He grabbed the toy man and lit it on fire, ignoring Yuugi's nonsensical cry of, "No! You'll hurt the toy man!" The toy man was burned to cinders before anyone could stop Mike.  
  
Benjamin, who was busy chasing the ball bearing, did not see that Mike, his eyes now entirely black, without any visible pupils, turned on Yuugi. Taking out his crystals, he raised one that Yuugi knew he could not normally operate.  
  
_ Yuugi, do something! This isn't Mike!_ Yami said, trying not to sound panicked.  
  
Yuugi, however, was helpless. "I can't! I would hurt Mike!"  
  
_ Yuugi, he is trying to kill you!_ the spirit shouted in frustration; this wasn't the first time Yuugi had put himself in danger through nonviolence.  
  
Yami was correct; the not-Mike person said, in a voice that eliminated any fleeting thought that he was still Mike from Yuugi's mind, "Death Stroke."  
  
Only the loyalty of Yuugi's deck saved his life. Yuugi's monsters saw him as their friend, not their master, and they reacted strongly when he was threatened. Silverfang appeared, slamming Yuugi backwards, which bought time if it did not solve the problem.  
  
Yuugi, shaken out of his shock at Mike trying to kill him, shouted, "Mirror Force!" without thinking. It didn't even occur to him that he wasn't holding the card. Mirror Force sprang into being from Yuugi's outstretched hand, deflecting Death Stroke back at Mike. He collapsed, vomiting thick, black ooze.  
  
Yuugi ran forward, praying that Death Stroke had killed whatever had possessed Mike but not harmed him. He noticed a strange, metallic object stuck underneath Mike's chin. Pulling it free, he saw that it was a fly made out of black metal. His hand hurt as though it were on fire as he held it, and he knew at once that it was totally, powerfully evil. He realized that this was what the toy man had meant--they must keep the fly.  
  
While Yuugi was trying to force himself to put the fly in his pocket, and not throw it away as he dearly wished to do, Mike sat up. He was in perfect health, except for being covered in black ooze and having no memory of what had just happened. All he saw was Yuugi, his hand closed tightly around some object, eyes shut in pain as he whispered over and over, "We have to keep it. We have to keep it."  
  
He stood up, very concerned (and with good reason), but was shoved backwards by an unseen force--specifically, a very angry, worried spirit.  
  
He stumbled, saying, "Hey, chill out, Yami! What's going on?"  
  
Yuugi looked up, opening his hand. Mike picked up the fly at once, ignoring Yuugi's shout of, "No! Don't touch it!" Its possessive power, however, was gone.  
  
Benjamin returned at this point. He too sensed the evil from the fly, but after the situation was explained, realized that they must keep it. He quickly unpacked his well-cared for backpack to put all of the objects away.  
  
Out came a pair of shoes, the toy man, apparently unharmed (they all gasped in shock), a bunch of weeds, and several odd packages wrapped in what looked horribly like the hide of a reptilian creature. He put the objects away.  
  
Mike, however, was curious. "Ben, what is all that stuff?" He gestured to the packages and the weeds.  
Benjamin, repacking the hide-wrapped packages, said, "They are from an enemy. In Dark World, we do not waste food. Most are too scrawny to make a meal, but the liver is always good."  
  
Yuugi whispered to Mike, "You try explaining to the neighbors why there's a kid sitting in your yard hunting and eating squirrels. Or try explaining why he's pulling weeds out of the lawn and eating those too! My grandpa and I gave him those shoes so he could look normal. He's been saving them all this time, but he doesn't wear them. It's bizarre!"  
  
Mike looked at Benjamin's feet. For the first time, he realized that Benjamin was barefoot; the Darkling had so much presence that most people never even looked at his feet. "Okay, my weird-crap-o-meter is maxed out for the day."  
  
Benjamin smiled slightly. "In that case, let's head to the Gym." 


	22. Bargains and Battle

Chapter 22--Bargains and Battle  
  
"What do you mean, we have to retrieve it? I thought you guys had the Seal!"  
  
Joey and Tristan were disappointed and annoyed. They had assumed that Shin-ka and his Clann were in possession of the Seal, and now they discovered that it would have to be "retrieved."  
  
Shin-ka raised a hand. "Peace, travelers. My Clann does indeed possess the Seal, but we knew when we received it that it could be unsafe to keep it here. We therefore gave it to one among us who would protect he. His hermitage lies north of here; it is he you must convince to give you the Seal. Be warned--living alone for so long has made him rather...eccentric."  
  
Joey and Tristan, grumbling under their breaths, set out for the hermitage. This time, however, they did not have to trek through marshland. Instead, they were in a semi-swamp scrub forest. It was an eerie place; the trees dripped with moisture from the humid air, and everything was viewed through a green haze created by the thick, diseased- looking foliage. It was not a cheerful place, and it was certainly the last place they would ever have wanted to go under normal circumstances. Despite this, they continued to trudge resolutely forward, trying to refrain from complaint. After nearly half an hour of this miserable journey, they reached the hermitage.  
  
It was unlike any building they had ever seen. They were amazed that it was standing at all; it was crooked, made of odd parts, covered in dirt and weeds, being pulled down by vines, and generally falling apart in every way possible, and some ways they hadn't even realized existed. Staring at it in shock, they jumped in surprise when a voice spoke from behind them.  
  
"Heeheehee! I see you like my humble abode! Yep, I'm Karas the Hermit, and this is my hermitage. Say--you two don't look like Clanners. You remind me more of humans...what are you doing here?"  
  
Turning, they saw an old man dressed in an odd assortment of rags. He had a long, dirty, gray beard, thick, bushy eyebrows, and surprisingly sharp blue eyes. He smiled at them benignly, a very unClanner-like thing to do. They stared back at him. Several moments passed in silence before Karas the Hermit cleared his throat politely, in an attempt to bring them back to reality, if they had indeed left.  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. You have the Seal, right? Would you...give it to us? Please?"  
  
Karas laughed softly. "Ahh, my friends, you amaze we with your frankness. Yes, I do indeed have the Seal. I suppose you have already spoken to Shin-ka? Yes? Hmmm...he has obviously found you worthy, or you would be dead right now, but...I still won't give it to you for nothing! Yes, yes...it would be a great service to you if I were to give you the Seal, so why don't I ask you to do a favor for me in return? Yes...now, what shall I ask...what shall I ask...ah-ha! I've got it! You see, this is a very peaceful swamp. Oh, I know it sounds odd to outsiders like you, but for we natives, everything goes along just fine. Now, just recently there has been talk of a new arrival--a sea serpent, no idea how he got here, I suspect he's one of Tethys, but no matter--the point is, it's an awful nuisance, he doesn't belong here, and if you would kindly get rid of him for me? For all of us? Bring back one of his scales as proof, and I will give you the Seal. Agreed?"  
  
Joey and Tristan groaned. Fight a sea-serpent? In a swamp? "Aw, man! Well...I guess we don' really 'ave a choice, now do we? Ahh, all right, we'll do it. Fine. Just point us in da right direction, okay?"  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
"'ere it is. Dat's da shadow-monsta place."  
  
They were standing outside a gaping hole in the mountain. It was a tunnel leading straight down--straight into a demon's lair. Tea and Kaiba were hoping very much that Lona was mistaken, but they knew she was not. There was no other way--they had walked for miles, fought off Clanners, and faced death to find the Seal, and they could not stop now, even if it meant jumping into a deep, dark hole from which they might never return. Both of them would much rather have turned back, but they would never admit that. Lona looked at them quizzically.  
  
"Whatsa matta? Came all this way, not gonna go now? Not gonna kill da shadow-monsta? Lona come, me 'elp, we c'n do it!"  
  
Some people, Kaiba among them, become very sarcastic when facing something very dangerous that they are afraid of. "Oh, that's just great. Now that we have a half-cat who can't speak English on our side, we can't possibly lose."  
  
Lona nodded, unperturbed. "Me not say dat, we could get deaded, Lona still 'elp, me notta 'fraid. Some fings worth getting deaded for. Yeh?"  
  
Tea swallowed hard. "Well...I guess we should go then..." she said, shivering. She was very glad she wasn't in this alone, even if her companions were Kaiba and a crazy Darkling.  
  
There was an awkward silence in which everyone, with the possible exception of Lona, wished to turn back and nobody said anything. Then they slid carefully into the hole one by one, hoping that they wouldn't break any bones when they landed.  
  
Amazingly, they had a soft landing. They were not comforted long, however--they had landed in a pile of what were apparently leftovers from other travelers who had dared to entire the demon's lair. Whatever the demon had not wished to devour, or perhaps had found indigestible, was left behind.  
  
This venture was not off to a pleasant start.  
  
Shuddering, Tea stepped away from the assorted mangled body parts and looked around. There was little to see; was little light shone from above illuminated only blank rock wall.  
  
Lona sniffed the air cautiously, whispering, "Somefing bad is 'ere....", but they needed no help to determine that.  
  
There was a strange, almost inaudible sound, like some great beast breathing. The silence was otherwise oppressive, and the darkness was terrifyingly impenetrable. None of them wanted to step away from the narrow circle of light coming from the surface, but they felt that they should. The moment they had left the light, however, they were plunged into total darkness. Lona took out her handy lamp and squinted at it again, but it lit only a tiny circle; just a few feet in front of them it stopped. It seemed not so much that this was the limit of its light, but that the darkness swallowed it up...  
  
In short, it was terrifying.  
  
After walking for what seemed like hours, although it was probably only a few minutes, they saw something ahead, or rather, they did not see something--it seemed that the darkness had grown darker in front of them, although this was impossible. Suddenly, to their complete horror, a voice spoke. The underground chamber magnified it horribly, making it echoed all around them.  
  
_** "So. You have come for the Seal. I can see it in your very souls, you thieves. Now you must die..."  
**_  
Lona glared at the darkness, raising her tiny lamp. To their surprise, the dark entity before them seemed to recoil slightly.  
  
_** "Put it away! PUT IT AWAY!!!"  
**_  
Tea thought quickly. It doesn't like light--we need to light this place up! Hmm...my Elf's Light card would do the trick! "I Summon--Elf's Light!" The card glowed, then faded. "Huh? Why didn't it work?"  
  
_** "There is too much energy here for such simple tricks to harm me. You have not the strength to call your magic into being. You have not harmed me, thief, but I am afraid that you must die for this."  
  
**_ Tea was thinking again, as was Lona. Kaiba, however, never believed anything from anyone immediately. "Why shouldn't our cards work? I Summon- -"  
  
The moment he said it, however, he was sorry. He nearly collapsed in pain as the demon turned toward him.  
  
_** "Fool. You shall die first for daring to attack me when I had warned you of the consequences. Prepare to feel the full force of my power!"**_  
  
There was no chance of survival; being hit with a demon's energy is not something one takes lightly. But, just as the demon reared back its head and blasted its magic outwards in a projection of its evil, Lona sprang in front of it. The Darkling had grown very attached to her friends, especially Kaiba, and was not about to lose them without a fight.  
  
"No! Not 'urt me's frens!"  
  
Lona was thrown backwards by the force of the demon's blow; she slammed into the wall of the cavern and crumpled to the ground like a broken doll. Her small lamp flickered and went out, hiding the pitiful remains of its owner from sight. The demon's hateful laughter echoed around them in the all-consuming darkness. Now what would they do? 


	23. Merkshadow Adversary

Author's note: You may have noticed that I'm shortening the Gym battle sequences. That's because they were more important in the beginning of this section, before Yuugi, Benjamin, and Mike were being chased by the Clanners and the Sentinels. These battles, against opponents who wish to kill or capture them, are much more dangerous and therefore more important. So they get more attention. Enjoy!   
  
Chapter 23--Merkshadow Adversary  
  
Yuugi, Benjamin, and Mike entered the Zephryville Gym. To no one but Yuugi's surprise, it was an open-air arena where a flying-type would have the advantage. The Gym Leader stepped out of the shadows at the other end of the room.  
  
"So. New challengers. One Pokemon each--are you ready?"  
  
Benjamin faced the Gym Leader first; he defeated his opponent's Falric (a falcon Pokemon) in about a minute using Taru. The Leader gave him the Kite Badge, shaped like a flacon's outstretched wing, with a smile. Now it was Yuugi's turn. The Leader took out another Pokeball.  
  
"I choose--Pidgeot!" A large brown bird with white feathers on its belley appeared, flapping its wide wings and shaking its crested head. It was large enough to carry a person in flight.  
  
There was a moment of not-quite-silence as Yuugi tried to figure out which of his two Pokemon would be best against Pidgeot.  
  
"Maybe Luminaras? That thing is pretty big, it could flatten Spark..."  
  
_ Aren't electric types supposed to have an advantage against flying types?_ Yami asked, not entirely confident in this but wanting to help.  
  
"I'm not sure--what type is that?" Yuugi asked, perplexed; Pokemon battling was still fairly confusing to him.  
  
_It's a bird--doesn't that make it flying type?_ Yami pointed out.  
  
"How should I know? I'll just use Luminaras..." Yuugi said finally, deciding to go with the more experienced battler.  
  
Although Spark would have had an advantage against Pidgeot, Luminaras turned out to be an equally good choice; using its Body Slam, it defeated Pidgeot in a close battle, earning Yuugi a little more battling experience and one shiny new Kite Badge.  
  
With their new badges in hand, Benjamin, Yuugi, and Mike set out for the next town, which, according to Benjamin, was through the Jagged Pass. A short ways outside the town, however, Benjamin stopped.  
"What's that?" he said, looking around wildly for what he had sensed.  
  
"That" came swooping downwards and slammed into Yuugi, lifting him off his feet. They did not know that it was a Merkshadow Dragon Sentinel; they only knew that it had come to kill or capture all of them.  
  
Yuugi reflexively shouted, "Curse of Dragon!" --he was so used to Summoning his monsters that he no longer needed to think about it. Even the powerful tan-colored dragon's fire-breathing prowess, however, was too small to stop this beast. Thinking quickly, he added, "Gaia-the-Fierce- Knight-Polymerization!", causing a warrior on horseback to appear. His Polymerization magic reequipped the warrior and dragon to fight as Gaia, Dragon Champion; the horse returned to the Shadow Realm.  
  
Mike, pulling out his crystals, also helped out by adding Draconic armor and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon (in crystal form) to the mix. Yuugi wriggled out of the dragon's grasp and fell to the ground. To everyone's surprise, however, a second dragon swooped out of the sky and grabbed Mike!  
  
Benjamin called to Yuugi, "Send out all of your dragons; we must distract them!" Benjamin and Bikaymon were already activating their own special ability--Bikaymon's Digivolving power. Bikaymon shone with a bright light, rapidly growing through several forms until it reached what looked like a large, four-legged lizard with powerful, fanged jaws and large, bat-like wings.  
  
Yuugi pulled out his deck. Not for nothing was he the Guardian of his World; he had more Summoning magic than all of his friends put together.  
  
"Okay--Koumori Dragon, Winged Guardian of the Fortress, you help out!" he called as a small purple dragon with red-lined wings and red eyes appeared, bearing its fangs. Next to it appeared a larger blue dragon, with a crocodile-like mouth and fierce eyes. "I wish Joey were here--with Red-Eyes Black Dragon, we could Summon the Black Skull Dragon. Wait..." Looking up, he saw Mike's dragon, so bizarrely similar to the card from his own World. "Can I use Polymerization with one of his monsters?"  
  
_ It's worth a try_, Yami said, wishing he could do something to help; he had no Summoning power.   
"Okay--Polymerization and Summoned Skull--you too!" Mike's Red Eyes and Yuugi's Summoned Skull vanished, returning to their respective homes, as Polymerization allowed Yuugi to call on the Black Skull Dragon.  
  
Bikaymon (now in his highest evolutionary stage) also joined the fight. Together, they managed to weaken the dragons substantially. The sheer power of their adversaries, however, was beginning to tell.  
  
Bikaymon, running out of energy, was forced to de-volve. Benjamin, having given his partner all of his energy already, was in an even worse state. Mike had escaped from the Merkshadow Dragon Sentinel, but had lost his crystals at some point; a dragon attack is not a good time to search for dropped possessions.  
  
_ It looks like it's up to us now, Yuugi_, Yami said calmly; he was used to saving the day at the last minute.  
  
"But--I already Summoned all of my flying monsters! What else can we do?" Yuugi replied, much more worried. He had no idea what to do next.  
  
_Use a magic card_, the spirit suggested, not wanting to tell Yuugi what to do but knowing that he had a plan and his partner didn't.  
  
"These monsters absorb magic, remember?" Yuugi pointed out, recalling the last time he had used magic on a Sentinal.  
  
_ Exactly_, Yami said patiently.  
  
"How does that help?"  
  
_There are some kinds of magic that just aren't meant to be absorbed.  
  
_ "Of course--the Dark Hole! Those are Sentinels, which means that they absorb magic. If they absorb the Dark Hole, they'll kill themselves and protect us at the same time!" Yuugi said in dawning comprehension.  
  
Yuugi quickly shuffled through his Deck until he came to the Dark Hole. Holding it up, he said, "I Summon--the Dark Hole!"  
  
Yuugi and Yami were correct--the Merkshadow Dragons attempted to absorb the magic, but because it was such a powerful destructive force, they only succeeded in killing themselves. Just as Yuugi had predicted, the Dark Hole was unable to kill anyone else because it had been absorbed, not fully activated. As Yuugi was returning all of his monsters to their cards, Mike stood up.  
  
"I found my crystals! Now--hey...what happened to those weird dragons?"  
  
Benjamin smiled. "Sorry, Mike--the battle's over. You missed it."  
  
"Aww!"  
  
The three travelers, worn out but happy to be alive, continued onwards. Powerful forces were trying their hardest to stop them from getting the Key--who knew when they would be attacked next? 


	24. Triumph and Tragedy

Chapter 24--Triumph and Tragedy  
  
Joey and Tristan, much to their dismay, were once again trekking through the humid, buggy swamp, occasionally sinking knee-to-thigh deep in muck. The swamp was as gloomy and forbidding as ever, and they could not see why Karas the Hermit thought it was peaceful.  
  
"Aww, man! Why would anybody want to live here!? Dis is the worst place I've evah been to!" Joey ranted in exasperation.  
  
"Nahh, I thought the Chaos fortress was worse than this," Tristan replied thoughtfully, much calmer than Joey; he was far better at keeping his temper than his best friend.  
  
"Whatevah. Hey--you think we'll be able ta get dat scale Karas wants? Can't see why he's so upset about dis sea-serpent--everything looks just da same as always to me," Joey gumbled.  
  
"That would be because we've never seen the swamp without it," Tristan pointed out, rolling his eyes.  
"Oh...right..."  
  
They continued in silence for some time. Then--"Is dis the place we're lookin' for?"  
  
It certainly looked miserable enough. It was a small, deep pool, full of trailing weeds and bog vegetation. There were many places, however, where the plant-life seemed to have been disturbed...  
  
"Uh...sea-serpent? Lookin' for a sea-serpent?" Joey called uncertainly.  
  
"Do you really think that will work?" Tristan asked, looking skeptically at him.  
  
"You have any betta ideas!?" the blond snapped back, temper frayed after the long trek through the swap.  
  
At that moment, their discussion was cut short. The surface of the pool began to rippled. Something was rising from the depths. A scaled, snake-like head broke the surface; they could see its body coiling sinuously into the dark waters. A harsh, guttural voice filled their ears.  
  
"Yes? You call to me, lonely wanderer far from home? Torment me no more, land dwellers...leave me in peace to await my death..."  
  
After a moment of shocked silence, they broke into a rushed explanation.  
  
"We need the Key--"  
  
"No, we need one a his scales--"  
  
"We need to have it to get the Seal--"  
  
"We need dat to get da Key--"  
  
The sea-serpent interrupted them once more, looking mildly perplexed. "You speak in riddles, land dwellers. Is it not enough that I am dying? Must you plague me with your inane chatter? I know nothing of a Key or a Seal or a scale. What do want from me, besides my misery?"  
  
A more diplomatic person would have at least pretended to be sympathetic to the sea-serpent's plight, but Joey and Tristan were--alas!-- not the most tactful of people.  
  
"Could you shut up for a second an' listen ta us? We need da Key of Aramas. For dat, we need da Seal of Shadow. For dat, we need one a your scales ta prove dat we got rid a you!"  
  
The serpent looked at them coldly. "You will now kill me, yes? Very well...end this tormented existence..."  
  
"What is it wit' you an' torment?" Joey asked, amazed that anyone could be so single-mindedly focused on misery.  
  
"I am dying far from my home and my people. Pity me, strangers, for I do not belong here, did not wish to come here, cannot return to my home...pity me...you wish a scale? Kill me if you wish, but I must fight you...it is simple honor, you must try to understand....I may be forced to kill you, but don't take it personally...alas for my sad fate..."  
  
"Would you stop it with the self-pity already? We have to get rid of you, we made a promise! Wait...Karas never said we had to kill you...we could send you home!" Tristan said, having been suddenly struck by this idea.  
  
At this, the serpent looked up quickly, its intelligent eyes alight with interest. "Home? You could send me...home? Ah, to be home again! I did not mean to leave, you see. My World is falling apart--our oceans often open their waters to other places...one can be sucked through a Gate unknowingly...I come from Akarana, but perhaps you do not know it by that name. I am a subject of High Queen Tethys, ruler of the oceans of Dark World."  
  
At this, Joey and Tristan started in. "Dark World!? You mean where Benjamin comes from?"  
  
The serpent appeared shrugged, a very odd gesture in a creature with no shoulders. "I do not know this Benjamin. I am of the sea, and to the sea I would return. Please--help me! Help me, and I will give you a scale! Are we agreed?"  
  
"You've got yourself a deal! We'll get you back to Dark World if you give us one of your scales!"  
  
Joey and Tristan searched their pockets. "Hmm...oh, don' tell me Tea had da Gatin' Device! Lemmee , I need your help a sec! Copycat, can you change into a Gatin' Device and send dis guy home? Ya can? Great! Don' you disappear too, okay? Well, hop to it!"  
  
Copycat nodded, then transformed. The serpent smiled, or at least showed its teeth. "Ah, but I thank you. Most humans would not help one such as me...here--your scale," he said, holding out his tail for them to pull a scale off. "Go well, humans. If you are ever in Dark World, and in need of help, call for Salriss. I am deeply in your debt."  
  
Nodding to them, he vanished. Joey and Tristan high-fived each other. "All right! We got the scale! Now let's head back to Karas and get that Seal too!"  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Karas nodded happily. "Ahh! You have succeeded! And now, everyone will go home happy. Here is the Seal." He held out a small, half-circle plate made of black material and engraved with symbols. "Yeah! We got da Seal! Now we can go get dat Key!"  
  
Thanking Karas, they left. Waving cheerily, he called after them. "Good-bye and good luck! Go well, my friends! As long as there are people like you, the humans have not lost all hope!"  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Far from the gleefully celebrating Joey and Tristan, Tea and Kaiba were in a worse mess than ever. The demon was closing in; the darkness was everywhere, there was no escape; no one would ever now what had happened to them; they were going to die here, like so many others before; everything would be lost because they failed...  
  
But they were not finished just yet. In even the darkest hearts exists a tiny corner of hope; a warrior's spirit can be found in the most timid soul. As Lona struck the wall, crumpling to the ground in a pool of her own blood, several things happened. First, Tea realized that they would only have enough magic to Summon Elf's Light if they worked together; then she realized that Kaiba would never agree to work with anyone. Second, the demon laughed mockingly and closed in on its prey. And lastly, Kaiba remembered something.  
  
_ "Some fings worth getting deaded for. Yeh?"_  
  
Some things are worth dying for. Lona had been willing to die so they could get the Seal. If they failed now, her death would be meaningless. So when Tea said, "We have to combine our magic to make this work!" she was completely shocked to have him actually agree with her. The demon laughed again.  
  
_**"Work together all you want--you magic is not strong enough. You will die just like your half-breed friend. Hahahaha!!!"  
  
**_ "We'll see about that," Kaiba said, glaring into the darkness.  
  
Tea and Kaiba joined hands. Then, together--"I Summon--Elf's Light!"  
  
The combined power of two Summoners was still not enough to make the card work. It flickered slightly, emitting a faint glow, but...  
  
"We need more power! Our magic isn't enough!" Tea said in despair-- she couldn't think of anything else to do.  
  
_** "Hahaha....you are as weak as the half-breed.....how pathetic."  
  
**_ Some people say that magic is fueled by the strength of one's emotions. Even if you've never learned magical control, the internal energy of your magic can be activated when you angry, afraid, or upset. These are the most common emotions that activate or give more power to magic; one that people don't always recognize is loyalty.  
  
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Elf's Light sprang into being like a shining star inside this dark pit where no light had ever shone. The demon screamed in shock and pain.  
  
_** "No...NO!!! How...how can this be? It cannot...it cannot...you do not have the power to Summon such light! No....No....NO....NOOOO!!!!!!!!"  
  
**_ The demon twisted and writhed horribly before the light; it began to shrivel like a piece of paper in a fire. A light began to glow in the center of its body, growing stronger and stronger--until suddenly, it exploded outwards. With a final scream, the demon was gone. The Seal of Light, long ago swallowed by the greedy monster, clattered to the floor.  
  
Tea and Kaiba walked over to where their former guide and ally lay unmoving on the floor. Miraculously, Lona was still alive, but she wouldn't last much longer. She smiled weakly.  
  
"Yous...got d'Seal...so...s'gonna be a'right....don' feel bad 'bout me...me notta 'fraid t'die...me 'elped yous...it was worf it...t'die...doing somefing apportant.....me not sad.....ony sorry...dat me's never....gonna 'ave a fam'ly.....guess me aways...gonna be....alla 'lone...eh?"  
  
Tea bit her lip, unable to say anything. It was the most sad and pathetic thing she had ever seen--a dying misfit, only disappointed that she never found a place where she belonged.  
  
"You're wrong, Lona. Family aren't just the people you're related to. There are different kinds of families. You do belong..." Kaiba said, surprisingly; for once, he dropped the "cold heartless businessman" act.  
  
Tea nodded. "Yeah...you're right...family is more than just your blood. It's about what's in your heart. Family are the people who care about you," she said, sniffing.  
  
Lona looked at them, her eyes not quite focused. "Yous...Lona's fam'ly?"  
  
They both nodded.  
  
Lona smiled. "Then...me notta 'fraid t'die....me's okay.....you gotta 'urry now...da 'ole place c'lapse soon....gotta get out...me stay 'ere....don' worry....'bout me.....Lona be okay.......me.........notta 'fraid......g'bye........me's fam'ly...................................................."  
  
Lona's eyes closed. Although Tea and Kaiba both felt great sorrow, they couldn't help being happy for Lona...after being an outcast all her life, she had finally found people she belonged with. After a moment of silence, there was a faint rumbling which began to grow steadily louder. Lona was right; the cavern was collapsing.  
  
"Come on--we have to take the Seal to the Shrine," Kaiba said, back to being businesslike. In a crisis, the young CEO knew how to remain calm and get the job done.  
  
"But--we're trapped! There's no way out of here!" Tea said, not quite as good at putting emotion aside to do what had to be done.  
  
To most people, this statement would seem to be true. The hole through which they had entered the underground cavern was far overhead, and they had no chance of reaching it alone. Dragon tamers, however, frequently develop a more three-dimension way of thinking.  
  
"There's only one way out--up. I Summon--Faith! Let's go!"  
  
Thus did our heroes escape the demon's lair: destroying him with the power of their hearts, and escaping the destruction of his lair on a dragon.  
  



	25. Dragon Valley

Author's note: The suggestion for Yuugi to get Dratini was from Serafinamoon, and it was too perfect not to use...thanks, Serafina!  
  
Chapter 25--Dragon Valley  
  
Yuugi, Benjamin, and Mike were on their way to the next town. They had finally reached the Jagged Pass; it was a long, narrow corridor between four mountains. They were about halfway through the pass when Benjamin stopped, sniffing the air.  
  
"What's wrong, Benjamin?"  
  
Benjamin shook his head as if to clear it. "I'm not sure...I feel as if we're being watched."  
  
At this moment, harsh laughter echoed around them. All three looked around, searching for the source of the noise, but this was nonevident until a Clanner dropped down behind Yuugi, clapped a hand over his mouth, and said, "You are correct, half-breed; you are being watched. And now, we take the Summoner." With that, the Clanner grabbed Yuugi's Deck, Luminaras' Pokeball, and the Millenium Puzzle, dropped them on the ground, whistled sharply, leapt onto the back of a dragon that responded to his call, and flew off westward.  
  
At this moment, three other Clanners dropped down from their own dragons. They bore throwing lances, obviously intended for use on dragonback, and wore short swords at their sides. Mike and Benjamin immediately drew their swords as well. The Clanners, however, just sneered.  
  
"We have already won, fools! Kill us if you will; it will not rescue the Summoner! We need only delay you, but I think that we should kill you, just to be safe. Goodbye, fools. You have failed your friend."  
  
Mike and Benjamin stood back-to-back, but they knew they had little chance of victory; the Clanners had ranged weapons, and they were outnumbered. Then, just as things truly began to look black for our heroes, a new voice spoke.  
  
"Dragonite, use your Hyperbeam! Great job, Dragonite! Now--Ice Beam!" A stout, muscular orange dragon with small but powerful blue wings, short, thick limbs, and a large tail flapped into view; someone was on its back.  
  
The Clanners, however, had already fled, scowling. A girl stepped down from Dragonite's back. She had dark-brown hair, vividly ice-blue eyes, and a cheeky grin. She looked to be about nineteen.  
  
"Hi there! My name's Valerie, but you can call me Val for short. You were certainly in trouble! Were those the child kidnappers everyone's been talking about?"  
  
Mike walked over to shake her hand, tripped on a dented helmet, and leapt up in surprise. While Benjamin was introducing them to Val, Mike examined his odd find.  
  
Benjamin nodded, looking worried. "They were--and they've captured one of our friends. We must find him..."  
  
Val smiled comfortingly. "Well, I know the Jagged Pass like the back of my hand! Why don't I help you out? Come on--we'll find your friend in no time!"  
  
Benjamin and Mike gratefully accepted this offer. Mike nudged Benjamin and said quietly, "Hey--you think this is another one of Yuugi's weird objects?"  
  
Benjamin nodded. "We will keep it for him."  
  
Before climbing onto Dragonite's back with Mike and Val, Benjamin carefully picked up Yuugi's Deck, Pokeball, and the Millenium Puzzle and put them in his backpack, silently vowing to return them to his friend at any cost. As they sped off, another person spoke, although no one could hear him.  
  
_ Don't worry, Yuugi; we'll find you!_  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Yuugi, meanwhile, was rapidly flown to a valley in the west where several other Clanners were already waiting. The dragon Pokemon of the valley were hanging back, and several were injured. There seemed to be three kinds of dragon here; if Yuugi had known more about Pokemon, he would have recognized Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite, the three legendary dragon Pokemon, which were related evolutionary stages. The first stage, Dratini, was a small, snake-like creature, about a foot long with smooth, rubbery, pale-blue skin, a white belly and white fins on either side of its rounded head. Dragonair, the next evolutionary stage, was like a longer, darker-blue version of Dratini, with more wing-like head fins and a sphere at the base of its throat, as well as two on the tip of its tail. Finally, Dragonair was a powerful, muscular orange creature, standing upright on its thick legs. It flew with two blue wings, small in comparison to its body but still powerful.  
  
Yuugi knew nothing about these dragon Pokemon; the only thing he was looking for was an opportunity. The Clanners, assuming that without Yami and his Deck he was pathetic, had failed to bind him. They had forgotten that he still had one ally--Spark!  
  
The instant the dragon touched down, Yuugi kicked his captor as hard as he could in the back of the knee, just as Benjamin had once taught him to do. The Clanner let go of him in surprise, giving him time to scramble to his feet and move backwards. The Clanners glared at him. Yuugi knew that this was not a promising situation; he was trapped and outnumbered, and there was no help coming. But, like a true hero, he was going to fight anyway.  
  
"Surrender now, Summoner. Without your monsters, you cannot hope to fight us. You only weapon is a knife, and you have not learned to throw it. You have no hope of escaping. You must admit defeat!" "Never!" Yuugi said bravely. "You may have taken my Deck, but you missed one monster--Spark!"  
  
As he said this, Yuugi threw his one remaining Pokeball. Spark appeared, causing much amusement from the Clanners.  
  
One tall, dark-haired Clanner with shadowed eyes stepped forward. "Hahaha!!! You have been in this World too long, Summoner--you have forgotten one key fact about these creatures. They are intended for Pokemon battles; Pokemon battles are not fought to the death. I Summon-- Darkslash! Darkslash, incinerate that puny creature!"

Yuugi, who had forgotten that this could well be a battle to the death, was shocked to see an enormous black dragon appear. It was a long, four-legged creature, with a reptilian head and fanged jaws. Its yellow eyes focused on Spark, and it growled menacingly. Obeying its master's command, Darkslash shot fire at Spark, who squealed and attempted to run. Alas, Spark was nowhere near fast enough to escape the blast; he was knocked backwards, smoldering.  
  
"Spark!" Yuugi shouted in anguish, concerned for the fate of this creature that he had unwittingly put into such danger. Benjamin had told him that he had to take of this Pokemon, just like he would have taken care of one of his monsters...and now look what he had let happen to him.  
  
Yuugi was about to return his poor Pokemon when the dragon's tail swung forward, knocking the Pokeball out of his hand and breaking it. It lay cracked on the ground while Yuugi knelt next to Spark, knowing that his only monster had been badly injured, and there was nothing he could do to help it.  
  
"I'm sorry, Spark...I didn't mean for you to get hurt...I didn't realize that they would do that..."  
  
The Clanners laughed some more. "You're pathetic. You have too much compassion for your monsters. They are slaves and you are their master; you must command them as such to be truly powerful."  
  
Yuugi stood up. He had no idea what he was going to do; he knew he couldn't fight a dragon, but he had to do something.  
  
"You're wrong. Only trust can bring true power--hate can only take you so far. I've always believed that, even before I learned how to Summon my monsters! Hatred and fear will never bring true victory!" Yuugi said defiantly, refusing to give no matter how hopeless things seemed.  
  
"Sorry, Summoner--it just has. You have no more monsters to fight us with. What will you do--attack my dragon single-handed? Face it--it's over. You put up a fair fight, I suppose, but it's hopeless now. There's nothing more you can do."  
  
Yuugi took a deep breath. He knew that he was out of options...what should he do? It would be easier to just give in...he was going to lose anyway... Yuugi thought of all the times that his friends had stood by him in danger...and all of the duels Yami had fought to end, no matter how hopeless it seemed. He looked up, determined._ I won't give up...no matter what!_  
  
"We'll see about that," he said, not sounding frightened or worried at all. Yuugi knew it was hopeless...but he didn't care.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Mike, Benjamin, and Val were growing frustrated. The Jagged Pass was composed of four valleys surrounded by mountains. The east valley held a training hall and a trainer's rest house, the north valley contained cold- weather dragons and was filled with ice and snow, the south valley contained warm-weather dragons and was filled with boiling magma pools, and the west valley contained the temperate climate dragons, which consisted mostly of Dragonair and Dratini, with the occasional Dragonite. They had searched the east valley and found several trainers held by Clanners; they had searched the north valley, and found a large group of dragons facing them, along with the Clanners from the last valley; now they were trying to decide where to go next. Benjamin was rather thoughtful about this.  
  
"When the Clanners escaped, they were flying west," he said. The Clanners had been trying to delay them...they might have been in too much of a hurry to do anything but run, which would point to the west valley as their location.  
  
Mike shrugged. "So what? That was probably just a trick--I'll bet they're in the south valley."  
  
"....if you think so," Benjamin said, deciding to trust Mike's judgement this time.  
  
In the south valley, they found all of the Clanners they had faced so far, plus a few new ones. Benjamin groaned. "I knew we should have gone west!" he said, cursing himself for their bad decision.  
  
The Clanners smiled grimly. "You should have gone home, half-breed. You will not leave this valley alive!"  
  
Benjamin was growing tired of these Clanners. He was growing angry at their constant attacks. He was also very worried about Yuugi.  
  
This was not a good combination for the Clanners.  
  
Benjamin was a berserker. In battle, when he became extremely angry, he went crazy and started attacking wildly, injuring his enemies brutally. He became almost immune to pain and injury himself, and continued attacking until he ran out of energy or was forced to stop. Berserkers are fairly rare among the usually cautious Darklings, and they are extremely dangerous. Those who are berserkers usually learn to control their psychotic tendencies, but Benjamin had never had the chance.  
  
Benjamin was angry.  
  
The battle that followed defied description. Dragonite covered Val's eyes as Benjamin, accompanied by Mike, attacked the Clanners, knowing that they would not survive if they lost this battle. Finally, the Clanners drew back, baring with them six bodies.  
  
The Clanners had paid in blood for their attack.  
  
Benjamin panted, trying to catch his breath. "We will rescue Yuugi, Clanners--no matter what it takes." Val, Benjamin, and Mike left for the west valley, hoping they would not be too late.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Yuugi, meanwhile, was fighting in the west valley. As his friends were coming closer, he was being attacked. The dragon had cornered him; there was no way its attack would miss. The dragon opened its mouth wide; it was about to breath fire.  
  
_This is it_, Yuugi thought. He was going to die here, alone and in another World. It was of some comfort to him that at least he would die fighting.  
  
To his surprise, however, he did not die. Just before Darkslash's fire attack burned him to a crisp, a sparkling barrier sprang up in front of him, stopping the attack! For one wild moment, he thought that Mirror Force had been activated--but no; it was a Dratini, one of those in the valley! Yuugi didn't know it, but this brave creature had used Light Screen to protect him.  
  
"....you want to fight with me?" he asked, looking curiously at the tiny dragon.  
  
"Tini!" it cried bravely, nodding its head.  
  
"All right! Let's go, Dratini!" Yuugi said enthusiastically, smiling. It was almost impossible to keep Yuugi's spirits down for long.  
  
At this moment, Benjamin, Val, and Mike arrived. The Clanners immediately leapt on them to ensure that they did not attack. Mike was knocked to the ground. Benjamin, knowing that he didn't have a clear shot to throw Yuugi his missing possessions, called, "You can do this, Yuugi!" At the very least, Benjamin would let his friend know that he had confidence in him.  
  
The Clanner scowled. "That pathetic worm will never defeat Darkslash! Darkslash, attack!"  
  
Yuugi looked steadily back at him. "We can win--I know we can! Come on, Dratini--use that wall thing!"  
  
Benjamin, having some knowledge of the Pokemon World, knew that a victory for Dratini would be a long shot. However, he also knew that Yuugi was not only one of the greatest strategists he had ever met, he also had strength of heart. "I know you can defeat them, Yuugi. It's not over yet!"  
  
Val, also watching the battle, was amazed that a wild Dratini would fight so well with a trainer. Mike, who knew nothing about Pokemon, just hoped Yuugi wouldn't get himself killed.  
  
_ You can do this, Yuugi--I believe in you!_ Yami thought to himself; he would have liked to tell Yuugi that, but their mental connection was severed without the Millennium Puzzle.  
  
Dratini used Light Screen, but the power of Darkslash's attack knocked him backwards. "You can do this, Dratini! I believe in you!"  
  
This made the Clanners nearly collapse with laughter, but it worked-- Dratini, refusing to give up, won, eventually defeating Darkslash with a well-placed Ice Beam.  
  
The Clanners scowled. Sighing deeply, the leader glared at Yuugi. "You win, Summoner. I do not understand how you could defeat me without your Summon cards, but...very well. I grant you your freedom."  
  
The Clanners mounted their various dragons and Gated out, carrying with them the bodies of their fallen comrades.  
  
Yuugi's friends got up and dusted themselves off, while Yuugi himself picked up poor Spark. "It's okay, Spark...you can stay here...you belong here--you'll only get hurt by coming with me." He turned to Val. "Here-- you take Spark. He belongs in this place...it would be wrong to force him to come with me."  
  
Val nodded. "Don't worry--your Pokemon will be safe with me." Grinning, she put Spark in a Pokeball of her own. "Great battle with Dratini--I wasn't sure you would win for a minute there, but you made it!"  
Benjamin frowned. "Yuugi...without Spark, you only have one Pokemon. What will you do now?"  
  
"I'm not sure--I suppose I'll just have to make do with one. ...huh?"  
  
Dratini crawled over. "Tini dratini!" he said, looking up at Yuugi.  
  
"But--you can't come with, Dratini. You don't understand...I live far away from here, and I'm fighting a war. You could be in danger."  
  
Dratini remained sitting at his feet.  
  
"If you really want to come...okay!" Yuugi said, smiling brightly. Pulling out what looked like a blank Duel Monsters card, he said, "Dratini-- Summons." Dratini was absorbed in magical light; a second later, its picture had appeared on the card.  
  
Benjamin nodded. "Thank you for all your help, Val. Let's get going, everyone--we need to reach the next town."  
  
Val stopped him. "The next town is so far--let me fly you there! I don't mind, and besides...on behalf of all the dragon trainers and Pokemon in the Jagged Pass, I owe you one!" She grinned cheerfully at him, patting Dragonite's side.  
  
Before they left, Benjamin gave Yuugi all of his missing possessions back. "Here...these belong to you."  
  
"That's better--now everything is back to normal...well, as normal as it'll ever be. Let's get going, guys!" Yuugi said cheerfully, happy to be reunited with his friends. Together, they set off for the next town, ready to face whatever lay ahead.


	26. To the Shrine!

Chapter 26--To the Shrine!  
  
At last, after long and difficult days of searching, Joey and Tristan had obtained the Seal of Shadow! Now all they had to do was get it to the Shrine of the Key. After everything they had been through, they thought this would be the easy part.  
  
They couldn't have been more wrong.  
  
Joey and Tristan had no idea where they were, no idea where the Shrine was, and no idea how to get there. They managed to get out of the swamp, which was something, but they were no closer to reaching their destination. In fact, they were worse off than they thought--they didn't even know if they were no closer to their destination! All they knew about the Shrine was that it was in the mountains, and the mountains were very large. They had gotten into the foothills, but that was of little help to them. To say that they were lost did no justice to the depth of their troubles. They were also unaware that their predicament was about to grow more dire.  
  
They had entered Necro Clann territory!  
  
Joey and Tristan did not know that Necro Clann, although it originated in the lowlands and swamps, was forced to leave its ancestral home as the result of an unprovoked attack from nearby humans. This was one of the reasons that Necro Clann was so eager to join the Overlord. The mountains, largely uninhabited by humans, gave Necro Clann room to multiply and become prosperous once more. Ever wary of being ousted again, however, they zealously guarded their territory. Walking into the middle of it uninvited is a bad idea. If you are a human, it is a death wish. As far as Necro Clann was concerned, two humans wandering into their territory uninvited was asking for it.  
  
Slipping and stubbing his toe for the fifth time in ten minutes, Joey stopped. "Are you sure we're goin' da right way?"  
  
"No."  
  
"All right. Just so we're clear on dat."  
  
They continued walking. As it happened, they were in luck. They happened to be heading toward the shrine, although they did not, of course, know this. They continued blundering forward, observed carefully by Necro Clann. The Necro Clanners were very clever fighters; they would wait, snake-like, to strike at the exact moment when there foes were most likely to be caught off guard. In this case, however, they needn't have bothered. In fact, it would been difficult not to catch Joey and Tristan off guard. Still, the precise, careful Clanners were taking no chances. This time, the humans would die.  
  
Joey and Tristan thought they were finally making some progress; they had reached a flat stretch of rock that resembled a road. It was a road, although they could not know this. It was a road to the shrine, and once found, it would have taken them straight to their goal.  
  
Necro Clann knew this. Necro Clann was determined to stop them.  
  
As the two humans began walking down the road, a single Necro Clanner appeared in front of them. This was a trick that looked like magic to the uninitiated; it was really a matter of concealment. In any case, they were certainly surprised--they stopped dead.  
  
"Too late, humans! You have entered our territory; now you must die! you are surrounded; give up, and we may spare you a drawn-out demise!" the Clanner roared at them, tensed for battle.  
  
Tristan swallowed hard. "Joey, I think we should get out of here," he said nervously, knowing that he and Joey were no match for Clanners in their home territory.  
  
"Huh? C'mon, dere's only one! We can take her!" Joey replied confidently, much less catious (or preceptive) than his friend.  
  
More Clanners appeared behind them.  
  
"My mistake. Okay, let's run!" Joey said, and the two took off at top speed.  
  
Taking the Clanner in front of them completely by surprise, they dashed down the road, hoping to outrun their foes and reach the safety of the Shrine. They ran as fast as they could, but they could not distance themselves from the equally speedy Clanners. The Clanners knew that they had the advantage--they were fit and able, and they knew this territory like the back of their hands.  
  
The road to the Shrine is very long.  
  
"Dey're gainin' on us! What do we do now?"  
  
"Run faster!"  
  
The race continued. Who would win?  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Tea and Kaiba were facing similar troubles. Frith and Windpaw had been able to lead them to the Seal, but they had no way to find the Shrine of the Key. While they were not quite as lost as Joey and Tristan, they still didn't know exactly where to go. They were already in the mountains, but they didn't know where they were in relation to any other landmarks. They needed a guide now more than ever, but they were running through them very rapidly. in the end, they were forced to wander aimlessly. This was not a suggestion welcomed with flying colors, but it was the only choice they had.  
  
"We don't know where we are, we don't know where we're going--"  
  
Tea clenched her fists, trying not to lash out at Kaiba; his constant cynicism and complaining were driving her crazy. "We do know where we're going! We're going to the Shrine of the Key!"  
  
"Yes, knowing the name of a place will surely enable us to find it!" Kaiba replied harshly. He hated being in a situation that was out of his control, such as being lost.  
  
"And we are not lost!" Tea said angrily, trying to keep a positive outlook. She knew that if they gave in to pessimism, they would gain nothing and make their task even more difficult.  
  
"Then where are we?" Kaiba replied, now annoying as well as cynical.  
  
"All right, we are lost," Tea admitted. "What difference does it make? We still have to find the Shrine."  
  
"We won't know where we are even when we get there," Kaiba said stubbornly, refusing to see anything positive about the situation.  
  
"We don't have to," Tea said flatly, realizing that arguing with Kaiba was completely hopeless.  
"Here's another problem: we don't know what we're going to do if by some miracle we manage to find it," Kaiba pointed out. He was actually being somewhat practical this time, but he had already complained so much that it was hard to notice.  
  
"I saw a poster that said 'expect a miracle' once," Tea replied. She was really reaching at this point.  
  
"I don't believe in miracles," Kaiba said automatically.  
  
"That's because you're cynical."  
  
"That's because I'm realistic."  
  
"It could be worse."  
  
"This couldn't possibly be any worse."  
  
At that moment, a Clanner, who had formerly been standing concealed beside a rocky outcropping, cleared his throat. "You may have spoken too soon, human. I and my comrades are about to make your situation considerably worse."  
  
Several more Clanners stepped into view. Necro Clann had cleverly surrounded their foes, just as they had the other two humans trespassing in their territory. The Clanner smiled grimly. They would never get the Key now. Raising his hand, he said, "Magic block! Without your Summon cards, you cannot hope to defeat us. Now you will die, humans. Good-bye."  
  
As he raised a thin-bladed throwing knife, his targets came to a quick decision and ran for their lives. The Clanners were taken less by surprise than their compatriots (currently chasing Joey and Tristan), but they were at a disadvantage due to the rocky and unpredictable terrain, which was hard to run on. Another chase had begun, but the outcome of this one seemed inevitable. Without any clear idea of where they were going, how could Tea and Kaiba possibly escape? 


	27. Reunited

Author's note: this chapter has a Matt section at the end. It's short, but don't get confused--it's separated with a transition as always. Enjoy the chapter!   
  
Chapter 27--Reunited  
  
Benjamin, Yuugi, and Mike thanked Val as she let them down on the city limits. "Good luck at the Gym, everyone! I'm sure you'll do just fine!"  
  
On the way into the city limits, they obtained yet another group of weird objects: a bunch of oddly carved pieces of wood. Putting away their most recent Apocalypse junk, they reached Mossdeep City by nightfall. They stopped to rest at the Pokemon Center, and this night, even Mike and Benjamin slept. Yuugi, however, stayed awake for a long time, training the Dratini he had christened Aero. The next morning, Benjamin woke up at five o'clock, considerately let the others sleep for another hour, then woke them up too and dragged them off to the Pokemon Gym, where they would battle for their fifth badge. On the way, however, they ran into trouble.  
  
"Hey--that looks like a new kind of Sentinel!" Mike shouted, alarmed.  
  
It was indeed. This one, like the others, had a Sentinel's metal headgear, but it was smaller. It was also shape-shifting, although the effect was subtle. As they watched it, nonplussed, it wandered up to Yuugi, grabbed his Deck, and swallowed it.  
  
_ On the plus side, your cards are laminated_, Yami said; the situation was just too weird for him to be concerned yet.  
  
"Hey--give that back! Cough it up!" Yuugi demanded, feeling annoying and confused at the same time.  
  
While Yuugi was trying to make the Sentinal regurgitate his Deck, it sniffed the Millenium Puzzle and ate that too. This did not go over well with Yuugi, who was very tired and not thinking clearly. He grabbed the creature and started shaking it, shouting, "GIVE THAT BACK!!!!"  
  
The creature, evidently finding nothing else to eat, knocked him off, wandered over to Benjamin, and ate his backpack. Before Benjamin could explode and start cutting it to pieces, however, it stopped, doubled up in pain. It heaved several times as though it had eaten something that disagreed with it, then dissolved into nothing.  
  
They all stared for a moment, uncomprehending. Then, Benjamin picked up the Apocalypse objects. Oddly enough, they had linked together. When he touched them, however, the fell apart into their original components again.  
  
Mike was still staring; his brain seemed to be having trouble processing what they had just seen. Yuugi, meanwhile, dug his Deck and the Millenium Puzzle out of the Apocalypse pile.  
  
"Well, at least nothing was damaged," he said in relief--he had been worried that his deck might have been disolved by stomache acid or something. He had been worried about Yami too, of course, but he figured that not much could hurt the Millennium Puzzle, although he was glad to have it back.  
  
_ Easy for you to say; you didn't get eaten,_ the spirit muttered grumpily; being devoured bothered the spirit, who hated being helpless or less powerful than someone else.  
  
"That must be what the weird objects are for--fighting the Sentinels," Yuugi said thoughtfully. "Of course, it would be useful if we could figure out how to use them when we need to; not every Sentinel will eat them."  
  
_What's so bad about that?_ Yami said, still annoyed about having been temporarily eaten.  
  
Benjamin cleared his throat. "I think we should go to the gym now...we've lost time already."  
Yawning tiredly, Yuugi followed Benjamin and Mike to the Gym.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The Gym had a beautifully designed interior which mimicked a forest glade. Benjamin battled the Leader, Grace, first; using Kura's terrain advantage, he won easily and collected his badge, shaped like a curled fern. Then it was Yuugi's turn.  
  
Grace smiled. "One Pokemon each, okay? Go--Tangela!" An creature so thickly wrapped in purple vines that it looked like a bush appeared.  
  
Yuugi, to the other's surprise, took out a card. "Aero!"  
  
It was Dratini! Grace looked mildly impressed. "Wow--Dratini are supposed to be really hard to catch! All right, Tangela--use your Vine Whip!"  
  
To Benjamin and Mike's surprise, Yuugi actually knew his Pokemon's moves for once. "Aero, use Ice Beam! Okay, now use...um...Flamethrower!" It worked. Tangela under the assaults of two moves it had a major disadvantage against, went down.  
  
"Tangela, return! Well, here's your Fern Badge--you certainly deserve it!"  
  
Mike was puzzled as they left the Gym. "Yuugi, how did you know what moves to use? You don't know anything about Pokemon!"  
  
Yuugi smiled triumphantly. "I stayed up all night practicing."  
  
_ Yes, and getting only three hours of sleep did nothing to impair your battling ability_, Yami said, sounding amused. He was actually very proud of his partner. _You may want to try resting next time.  
  
_ -o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Walking through the city, Benjamin suddenly looked up. "Sentinels!" There were indeed two large Sentinels, of the floating, one-armed type. The two Sentinels were baring down on them when...  
  
"Yaaaah!"  
  
Someone had leapt forward and whacked one with a long, stout staff. It was Miaka and Rana! Benjamin grinned, turning to his aquatic friend.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
"Ready!"  
  
The two of them jumped on one Sentinel, which was trying to strike Rana with its sword. Rana stuck her tongue out at it as the sword passed through her, doing no damage at all. The Sentinel shifted slightly, and Rana, realizing that it had caused her to become solid, hid behind Mike.  
  
While those four were occupied with one Sentinel, the other turned to the final target--Yuugi. Charging its laser cannons, it prepared to fire.  
  
"Mirror Force!"  
  
The Sentinel's attack bounced back at it. It looked mildly surprised for a moment, than attacked again. This time a hole was blasted through it. The Sentinel looked at the wound in annoyance. It healed itself, then attacked again.  
  
This continued on for some time, but Yuugi knew his good fortune in not being blasted to bits wouldn't last forever; he was already running out of energy from maintaining Mirror Force against such powerful attacks.  
  
Finally, the Sentinel charged up for one final, ultimate attack. Blasting Mirror Force, it actually managed to maintain the beam for almost a minute. The attack hovered for a second as Yuugi's Mirror Force flickered. "I'm running out of energy!" he cried, alarmed.  
  
_ Here--I'll do it_, Yami said at once; he could easily give some of his energy to Yuugi.  
  
The Sentinel, sensing Yuugi's failing power, moved in for the kill. At that moment, a new source of energy rebounded its attack, vaporizing it.  
  
"Thanks!" Yuugi said cheerfully, not bothered by the close call.  
  
Benjamin and Miaka, with a little help from Mike and Rana, defeated the other Sentinel. Mike surveyed the area where Yuugi's Sentinel had formerly stood. "Whoa. How did you do that?"  
  
Yuugi held up his Mirror Force card, feeling very worn out-- channeling all of one's energy into something is very draining.  
  
Surveying the scene, Benjamin smiled. "I wonder what they'll say at the Pokemon Center?"  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Several minutes later, the whole group trooped into the aforementioned Center, causing poor Nurse Joy to gasp, "Oh, my!" and Mike, annoyed by the shock of everyone in the Pokemon Center, to mutter loudly, "The next person to say 'oh, my' is getting their head chopped off."  
  
When several city guards came in with the dead Sentinel, Nurse Joy, supporting herself with the counter, said, "Oh, m--" and clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
Benjamin and Miaka teased Mike about this, collapsing into laughter, which caused Mike to do a double-take--Benjamin laughing!? He had certainly changed a lot since his days as a Digidestined.  
  
In the end, however, they assembled more or less peacefully around the counter, discussing their journeys so far. Miaka and Rana were shocked that Benjamin and Yuugi had only five badges each; Rana in particular felt that it proved her earlier statements right--a human like Yuugi would never defeat the Champion. They did, however, donate most of their badges to Yuugi and Benjamin so that they would each have all ten.  
  
By this time it was very late; Benjamin said that they should get some sleep ("That means you too, Mike.") and head to the Cloud Citadel tomorrow. Looking in on them later, Nurse Joy was forced to laugh at the odd scene they made; Miaka curled up on a table, Benjamin sleeping on the floor, Yuugi on the counter, Rana a hovering cloud of blackish mist, and Mike inexplicably floating. She shook her head, then went to bed herself before anything else happened. The six questors were resting while they could; who knew what tomorrow would bring?  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Matt had returned to Loamhenge City. He had then found the secret path to the underground Artifact Gym, where only the most daring and powerful trainers entered. He had won his sixth badge. Sighing deeply, he stood outside the Gym. How would he ever get enough badges to compete in the League in time to win the Key? He put away his badges, then prepared to leave. To his surprise, however, someone collided with him. It was Julie, the girl he had met when he first set out on his quest. She seemed to be in a hurry.  
  
"Matt! I didn't recognize you when we first met, but then I remembered you from Kanto's League competition opening--I saw it on TV one year, remember? Matt--I know that you're hunting the child-stealers. They took Sam, and if anyone can rescue him, it's you. If you need my badges, you can have them. Here--good luck!"  
  
Blushing slightly, she shoved eight badges into Matt's hand and ran off again. Matt stared after her in shock for a second, then looked down. He sorted through the jumble of badges he had been given, removing the ones he would need to enter the Cloud Citadel. Matt smiled grimly. He would be able to help Yuugi and Benjamin after all.... 


	28. The Key

Chapter 28--The Key  
  
The two groups of questors were running for their very lives, but in one case by a stroke of luck, and in the other by intuition, they were both heading toward the Shrine. In a desperate attempt to outrun their pursuers, Joey activated his Trap Hole, which slowed the Clanners down for a short time before he ran out of energy and was forced to recall it. Tea and Kaiba, meanwhile, had cleverly doubled back and temporarily thrown off pursuit, giving them a slight lead. The two groups, both barely outrunning their would-be killers, reached the Shrine and ran into each other. Everyone fell down, got back up, and was extremely surprised to see everyone else.  
  
"Guys! You made it!" Tea said, relieved to see that Joey and Tristan were all right.  
  
"I can't believe our luck! We both managed ta get our Seals, an' we both made it ta the Shrine!" Joey exclaimed gleefully, forgetting about their pursuers in his happiness.  
  
"I hate to break up your little reunion, but in case you hadn't noticed, we're being chased by a group of a bloodthirsty psychos who want to kill us, so can we open the Shrine already!?" Kaiba interjected, glancing nervously behind them.  
  
"Oh, right!" Tristan said, also remembering.  
  
They took out their two Seals and looked up at the Shrine. It was a small building, but it was impressive nonetheless. It was made entirely of wood, with silver inlay on some areas, but was unweathered, as though it was brand-new. It nestled in the foothills of the mountains, jammed between two peaks. The door of the Shrine was made of the same beautiful, dark-colored wood, covered with many silver signs and sigils of protection. It had two halves; in the center of the whole door was a circular indent, also divided in two. It was obviously made for the Seals.  
  
They quickly put the Seals into the doors, waiting for something to happen. For a second, there was silence. Then, with a loud, mellifluous chime as if of a great bell, the doors swung outwards. They stepped inside, feeling slightly nervous, but nothing happened.  
  
"Should we...try to close the doors?" Tea said softly, shivering; there was a feeling of ancient power about this place that made her feel small, like standing by the ocean.  
  
They tried to pull the highly polished wooden doors inward, but they were immovable. Shivering slightly with nerves and suspense, they continued on, going deeper into the Shrine.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Outside, the two groups of Clanners, following the humans' trails, slammed into each other in front of the door, fell down, and were as surprised to see one another as our heroes had been only a short time before. Seeing the open doors, the teamed up and barged into the Shrine, ready to stop anyone from taking the Key at all costs.  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The hall of the Shrine were old and covered in dust, but the wooden paneling of the floor and walls gleamed as though new. The building was as silent as a tomb, a fact that Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Kaiba found ominous. It felt oddly intrusive to be traversing this silent hall, their footsteps echoing eerily through the darkness. There was but a single hallway, leading a small chamber at the other end of the building.  
  
As the questors noticed this, they heard the tramp of booted feet and realized that the Clanners were coming after them. They froze for an instant, listening. Then, as the footsteps drew closer--  
  
"Run!!!"  
  
Behind them, the Clanners spoke in their own language. They couldn't understand Clann, but it was an unmistakable "There they are!" Just as they heard these words, they reached the chamber.  
  
The chamber was constructed of the same wood as the rest of the building, but here the ceiling was decorated with inlayed silver designs which glowed faintly, lighting the dais in the center of the room. The dais itself was of silver, and in the center was a pedestal. On this pedestal was what must surely be the Key they had come so far to find. They dashed up the steps to the pedestal, but were disappointed on sight of their prize.  
  
The Key of Aramas, fabled treasure of the Clanners which they had come so far to find, did not have the inexplicable newness of the Shrine it was housed in, nor was it as beautifully and carefully made. What they saw was not a powerful magical object; what they saw was half of a Key that has been split down the middle, covered in rust and blackened by time. Despite this disappointing appearance, they could all feel the power radiating out from it, like a lamp hidden under a basket. As they stood admiring it (or rather, being disappointed by it), the Clanners arrived.  
  
They stopped dead when they saw four humans standing around the Key. They were in shock; it was a sacred object of the Clanns, not to be stolen by mere humans! They glared at them, eyes full of malice. Finally, one of them spoke.  
  
"You may not touch the Key--it is a sacred object of the Clanns. Only three may remove it from its Shrine--a caretaker of the Key, all of whom are gone; the one who may use the Key, who comes not; or one touched by the Sign of the Clanns. You must leave our sacred place, trespassers. None of you may touch the Key," she said flatly, hnd clenched around the hilt of her long knife.  
  
The adventurers were crestfallen. "No! We came all dis way fa nothin'? There has ta be a way ta get da Key!" Joey said in frustration-- there was no way he was giving up after coming so far!  
  
Tea smiled triumphantly. "There is! They said that 'one touched by the Sign of the Clanns' can take it. I have the Sign of the Clanns! Lai- shi gave it to me, remember? That means I can take the Key!" she smiled, fingering the silver symbol she had worn around her neck all this time, never realizing that it was the key to the Key.  
  
While the others gaped at her, the Clanners looked furious. "GET THEM!!!" one roared, as they all raised their weapons.  
  
"Uh, Tea? If you're going to take the Key...now would be a good time!" Tristan said nervously, looking at the enraged Clanners.  
  
"Right!" Tea grabbed the Key from its pedestal, then whipped out the Gating device she had carried for so long. "Let's get out of here!" she said as they all joined hands.  
  
With a flash of white light, they had vanished. The Clanners cursed their poor timing, then set out to inform the Overlord. The humans would not get away with this. 


	29. The Champion

Chapter 29--The Champion  
  
Benjamin, Mike, and Yuugi, now reunited with Miaka and Rana, finally had enough badges to face the Champion and win the Key. They set out for the Cloud Citadel before sunrise. By the time they reached the Citadel, the sun had risen, although it failed to shine brightly (Benjamin resisted the urge to look smug--he had forced everyone to wake up early). Upon arrival, however, they found a surprise.  
  
"We meet again, Summoner. You have evaded us for too long. The Overlord grows tired of your constant escapes. Today, you come with us."  
  
It was Daria. Yuugi stared at her in shock. There were other Clanners with her, Clanners they had faced before--three Skull Clanners whom Yami recognized; several Dracon Clanners who had nearly kidnapped Yuugi; a group of Necro Clanners with hatred in their eyes. Rana and Miaka, whom the Overlord had not chased, were also astounded.  
  
"Hey--are those the Clanners who were kidnapping the children?"  
  
Daria looked condecendingly at the two Pokemon Worlders. "Yes, we are. But we are through kidnapping children; we have found our target, and we will take our prize. The rest of you will die." She raised a long, thin throwing knife, a vicious smile lighting her features. "My orders are to take you alive, but it doesn't matter what else I do to you. Maybe I will cripple you...or maybe blind you...which would you prefer?" She laughed wildly, then flipped the knife into throwing position.  
  
Yuugi did not move. He remained staring at her in shock, even though a voice in his head was screaming _RUN!!!_ as loudly as possible. Just as Daria released the knife, however, Yami shoved Yuugi out of the way as hard as he could, and someone caught the knife. Getting up, Yuugi looked at the mysterious knife-catcher.  
  
It was Matt.  
  
"Matt! You made it!"  
  
Matt smiled quickly at Yuugi and his friends, then turned back to the Clanners. Daria raised her Gating device, but Matt knocked it out of her hand. Daria looked, not terrified, but enraged as Matt closed a hand around her throat. She would surely have died if Yuugi had not grabbed Matt's sleeve, saying over and over, "Don't kill her! Don't kill her!"  
  
Matt dropped her, then looked at Yuugi. "Yuugi, she would have killed you. She would have brought you to the Overlord."  
  
Yuugi looked down. "....I know...but death is still death, no matter why you kill someone. Don't hurt them, Matt--this isn't their fault!"  
  
Benjamin scowled, not as forgiving and understanding as Yuugi. "Not their fault...how can it not be their fault? They chose to come here. They chose to join the Overlord."  
  
"No, Benjamin. They didn't have a choice--they have no other way to survive. That isn't their fault..."  
  
Daria smiled condescendingly at him, not at all grateful that Yuugi had saved her life. "Yes, yes, that's all very touching, but you'll die either way. Our lives are nothing compared to the might of the Overlord's great armies. Whether we die or not is immaterial."  
  
At this, Matt marched forward, the Clanners scurrying backwards before him--all but three, that is. The three Skull Clanners had not moved. Looking at their faces, Matt saw that their eyes held the look of one who would welcome death. Shuddering, he continued moving forward, cornering the other Clanners.  
  
Yuugi, meanwhile, was following him. "Matt--you can't hurt them-- this isn't their fault--"  
  
But Matt completely ignored him. Like Benjamin, he had berserker blood in him. He did not, however, attack. He raised his hand to force- Gate them out of his World, but his more empathetic ally, Yuugi, had unluckily jumped in front of him at this exact moment to stop him from killing anyone. Yuugi was not Gated anywhere, but was thrown backwards from the force of Matt's Gate, slamming into a wall.  
  
Getting up, he dusted himself off and walked back over to Matt. "You shouldn't have done that, Matt..."  
  
Then he and Matt rejoined the others, Yuugi limping slightly.  
  
_Yuugi...I can understand you wanting to stop Matt from hurting the Clanners, but do have to injure yourself in the process?_ Yami said wearily. Sometimes his partner was just too nice for his own good.  
  
In front of the Citadel, they were stopped again, by the remaining Skull Clanners. Holding up a hand, one of them said, "Stop--we would speak to the Summoner." They turned to Yuugi. "We meet again, Summoner. Here-- take this. Remember, Summoner...they have only as much power as you give them. Do not lose sight of the truth in suspicion. Farewell, kara-kachi."  
  
They all watched in a rather dazed way as the three Clanners Gated out. Benjamin was frowning thoughtfully--kara-kachi was Darkling. Yuugi put what they had given him in his pocket without looking at it. "Let's go find the Champion!"  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
The Cloud Citadel was a tall, slender building of beautiful construction. A narrow staircase wound its way up the mountain to reach it; the Citadel was so high up that its uppermost spire pierced the clouds. The six travelers (seven if you knew how to look) slowly ascended to the dizzying height of the Citadel itself. The pearly-white doors slid open when they inserted the ten necessary badges in the circular plate built for them. They stepped into the darkened hall....  
  
"So. I thought you might reach me here, Summoner. What--surprised to see me?"  
  
Yuugi stared wordlessly at the Champion who walked forward. To his friends, the Champion seemed to be a perfectly normal man of perhaps thirty with oddly-colored eyes. Yuugi, however, recognized the Oracle as only one who has been possessed by it can.  
  
"You...you can't be here...it's impossible..." he said, taking a step backwards. Yuugi remembered all too well the pain and misery the Oracle had caused him at their last meeting...  
  
The Champion's face changed shockingly. A malevolent haze shrouded it, and two eerie, glowing eyes appeared in it. The Oracle had revealed himself, and everyone but Yuugi and Yami were shocked. "Is it? Here I am, Summoner--would say that I am impossible, when I am before you? You yourself should know how easy it is to possess someone once you find their weakness. If I could find yours, I could certainly break this fool. Trying not to remember? Don't bother. If there's one thing that's difficult to change, it's the past."  
  
The Oracle, however, was wrong. Yuugi was trying to remember--he needed to recall everything possible about how much control the Oracle really had over a possessed person. He had nearly lost his soul for good when the Oracle possessed him, but that was because of the Void, not the Oracle himself; none of the Overlord's creatures knew that.  
  
_ We have to defeat him in a Pokemon battle; then we can win the Key and free the Champion,_ Yami said, shaking Yuugi out of his reverie.  
  
Yuugi nodded, although he was still frightened. "You're right. Oracle--we challenge you to a Pokemon battle! If we win, you must give us the Key."  
  
"And if I win? I already have the Key, I do not want it. I have a proposition for you, Summoner--if you win, take the Key; but if I win...I take you back to the Overlord," the Oracle replied, grinning maliciously.  
  
Yuugi bit his lip. He didn't want to fight a battle with such high stakes, but what choice did they have? "...agreed."  
  
_What!? You can't agree to that! What if you lose?_ Yami said, panicked. If it had been Duel Monsters, then maybe he would have agreed to such a battle, but Yuugi had almost no experience with Pokemon.  
  
"Have faith--we can do this," Yuugi replied, trying to have confidence himself.  
  
The Oracle/Champion smirked nastily. "Yes, go right ahead and have faith--it won't save you this time. Here are the conditions of our battle: we have agreed to the stakes, as you know; six Pokemon each; and I will face only one of you, although three of you have the badges to challenge me. Once your chosen battler wins or loses, you will leave. Agreed?"  
  
Yuugi nodded. "All right, Oracle."  
  
"So? Who will challenge me? Surely not you, Summoner--you are no trainer, and I have access to all of this man's knowledge," the Oracle pointed out.  
  
Benjamin motioned everyone to come over. They huddled together, speaking in whispers as they tried to formulate a plan.  
  
Matt spoke first. "Look--I'm the most experienced Pokemon trainer-- maybe I should do this. This is my World; I have to protect it."  
  
Benjamin shook his head, face set firmly. "No, Matt. Only one of us can battle the Oracle, because only one of us has any hope of winning the Key. The Oracle will not give it to us even if we win; he will escape his promise somehow. The true problem is the Oracle himself. He must be banished from the Champion's body, and only one of us has the power to do that. Yuugi, you must face the Oracle."  
  
Yuugi completely lost it. "But--me!? I'm the worst Pokemon trainer here! Besides--I don't have the power to banish demons!"  
  
_ No--I do_, Yami said, suddenly realizing Benjamin's plan. _And the only way I can do that is if we beat him in a game, even if it isn't a Shadow Game. Use your head, Yuugi--this counts as a game.  
  
_ ".....oh. Right."  
  
Miaka grinned. She knew little about the Oracle, but if Benjamin thought Yuugi could do this, so did she. "Hey--I just had a great idea! It's a six-on-six battle, right? Well, why don't each of us give you a Pokemon? Then you'll have six! You can use your Umbreon, that's one from the guy you're trying to save; then you can use your Dratini, that makes two; and I'll give you Kraken, that's three; and then Ben can give you one, that's four; and Rana, five; then Matt, that's six!"  
  
Rana rolled her eyes. "Ha! I dunno about you beating the Champion, even if he is possessed, but here--take Phantom, my first Pokemon."  
  
Benjamin thought the plan was a good one as well. "I would let Bikaymon help you, but I don't think he counts as a Pokemon, and we fight best as a team. You don't have any grass types--Kura will help you."  
Matt considered his Pokemon. Caterpie was the strongest, but fought best with Matt. Yuugi already had water, so..."Here--take Vulpix. She's one of my first Pokemon, and you need the fire element on your team."  
  
Taking all of their various Pokeballs, Yuugi smiled. "Now we can't lose!" he said happily. He knew that with all of his friends behind him, he had no reason to be afraid.  
  
_Don't be too sure,_ Yami said, knowing that Yuugi didn't know anything about most of these knew Pokemon, while the Champion--and thus the Oracle-- probably would.  
  
"Don't be such a pessimist. Oracle--I will face you!"  
  
The Oracle scowled. "Only one may face me. You are two."  
  
Then Yuugi played his trump card. "Wrong, Oracle--we may be two people now, but we have the power to fight you as one!"  
  
The Oracle raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh? You would really do that, after being betrayed once? Do you really trust the spirit?"  
  
Yuugi glared at him. "A whole lot more than I trust you! We're through listening to your lies, Oracle! Ready?"  
  
_Ready!_ Yami said, surprised but happy.  
  
Watching Yuugi and Yami use their mind-fusion ability was very strange for someone who see magic, like Benjamin. The Oracle was an even stranger sight; he looked livid as Yuugi and Yami invoked their (or rather, the Millennium Puzzle's) ancient magic.  
  
The Oracle glared at them. "It doesn't matter--I will still defeat you!"  
  
"Wrong. You might have beaten one of us alone, but together, you don't have a chance," Yami said. Although his and Yuugi's minds were both present, he was really more in control when they did this.  
  
"We'll see about that. For my first Pokemon--Kosle!" The slim brown weasel appeared, snarling.  
  
_ Hey--I remember this one! When we fought Alex, Benjamin defeated her Kosle by using Kura. Well, it's worth a try._ "I choose--Kura!"  
  
Benjamin, watching from the sidelines, grinned broadly. "I guess Yuugi remembers our battle with Alex as well as I do. Do your best, Kura!" he called encouragingly to his friend.  
  
The Oracle grimaced. He knew, from looking into the Champion's knowledge and memories, that a grass-type, especially a tree like Kura, had an advantage over Kosle. "Kosle, dive underground!"  
  
Benjamin thought about this. In his battle with Alex, the arena had given Kura an advantage underground. But now...  
  
Kura won't be able to drain Kosle in this arena--I'll have to think of something else. "Kura, just wait!"  
  
The Oracle reviewed the Champion's memories again. "Kosle, use Headbutt from underground!"  
  
"Now--immobilize it!"  
  
Kura used her vines to wrap Kosle into a state of paralyzation--it was unable to move its arms or legs. No amount of study could have prepared the Oracle for one of Benjamin's Pokemon. Realizing this, the Oracle decided to stop relying on traditional strategy. In a Pokemon battle between two people who weren't trainers, the outcome was anyone's guess.  
  
"Kosle, Acid Spit!"  
  
"WHAT!? Kosle can spit acid?" Yami said in shock--he knew even less than Yuugi about Pokemon, so he was at quite a disadvantage.  
  
"That is correct, Summoner! And while I know all of the abilities of my Pokemon, you know none of the abilities of your friends' Pokemon!"  
  
_He's right--I don't know anything about these Pokemon. But as long as I trust them just like I've always trusted my deck, I know we can do this!_ "Kura, slam in to the ground!"  
  
"But...that's not a move!" the Oracle protested, frantically looking through the Champion's memories and finding nothing to help him.  
  
"So what?" Yami replied, grinning cockily.  
  
Kosle wriggled free as Kura slammed it into the packed soil--hard. The Oracle, however, was beginning to realize that, with no knowledge of his Pokemon's moves, Yuugi/Yami was likely to try anything. In light of this, he decided to try anything himself. "Kosle, use Acid Spit as a streaming attack!"  
  
Rana gaped at the Oracle. "Can Kosle really do that?"  
  
Kosle could, and it did. It shot out its Acid Spit attack, but continued using it until it formed a beam.  
  
Thinking quickly, Yami said, "Kura, use a beam attack of your own!" Luckily, Kura was a very experienced battler. She used Plasma Beam. The two attacks intersected, straining against each other. Then--"Kura, hit Kosle with another attack the same time!"  
  
This time, it was Matt who was incredulous. "But--Pokemon can only use one attack at a time!"  
  
Benjamin smiled with pride. "Not this Pokemon," he said confidently, thinking of all the hours of battle training he and his creatures had gone through together.  
  
Kura cleverly smacked Kosle with one of her vines, causing it to slip sideways and separating the two beams. This, however, had a double effect-- both Pokemon were hit.  
  
"Kura, return!"  
  
"Kosle, return! You won by luck once--this time will be different! I choose--Pinnacre!"  
  
_ Wait--I recognize this one too! Benjamin fought Pinnacre for the second badge! Well, I guess I'll use--_ "I choose--Luminaras!"  
  
"Umbre!"  
  
Mike stared at the two Pokemon. "Has Yuugi lost it completely? That thing is a rock! Luminaras can't fight a rock!"  
  
Benjamin shrugged. "Luminaras is a capable battler; you may be surprised by what he can do. Yuugi may be a terrible Pokemon trainer, but he is an excellent strategist--I think I know what he's planning."  
  
The Oracle, however, also thought Luminaras an odd choice. "That fox against a rock? Are you trying to lose? Very well--Pinnacre! To the ceiling!"  
  
_Perfect! Now that he's headed for the ceiling, we have the advantage!_ "Luminaras, get ready!"  
  
"Umbre!"  
  
Luminaras crouched, looking carefully at the ceiling. Pinnacre, looking exactly like a stalagmite, had no advantage of surprise in this non- rock arena.  
  
"Now--Drill Slam!" Pinnacre began to rotate very fast, then dropped straight down. Luminaras, however, was ready. He leaped out of the way, and Pinnacre drilled itself into the floor. In an ordinary Pokemon battle, this might have meant a victory. This, however, was no ordinary battle. "Pinnacre, drill toward the surface!"  
  
"What? If it's underground, it could pop up anywhere..."  
  
Yami looked quickly at the ceiling. It seemed odd to those watching, but he wasn't looking for Pinnacre. He was looking for the water pipes.  
  
_.....there! That must be where the pipes are connected. Perfect! _"Luminaras, move about five feet to the right!"  
  
As Luminaras complied with this seemingly odd instruction, the Oracle attacked. "Pinnacre, Drill Slam from underground!"  
  
"Luminaras, jump out of the way!"  
  
The move almost worked perfectly--Luminaras did jump out of the way, causing Pinnacre to miss him and hit the water pipe instead, bursting it and fainting the rock-type at once. Luminaras, however, was thrown sideways by the mere force of Pinnacre's attack, and slammed into the wall. Once again, both Pokemon were fainted.  
  
The Oracle shrugged. "You have never faced this next Pokemon, so you cannot know what to expect. "I choose--Kitsune!"  
  
A silver-gray fox about the same size as Luminaras appeared. It was missing half an ear, and had beautiful, slanting blue eyes and a long, brush tail. It was obviously a very experienced battler. Matt looked at it for a moment, then realized--"It must be the evolution of Silver, the fox Pokemon Gillian used when I got my third badge!"  
  
Yuugi and Yami, meanwhile, weren't quite sure what to do. _I don't know anything about this Pokemon...what should I do? A fox to fight a fox, I guess._ "To face your fox Pokemon, I choose--Vulpix!"  
  
Realizing that Yuugi didn't know any of Vulpix's moves, Matt shouted, "Yuugi, Vulpix is a fire type!"  
  
_ A fire type? Wait--fire melts ice! That's it!  
_  
The Oracle held up a hand. "Wait--Kitsune, freeze that pipe closed." Vulpix sighed with relief--being doused with water was not her idea of a good time. "Now, Kitsune--Blizzard!"  
  
"Vulpix, use a fire attack straight up!" Yami commanded; he had a plan, but he wasn't sure exactly what move would make it work, being more used to straightforward trap and magic cards.  
  
Vulpix, another experienced battler, used Flamethrower straight at the ceiling. As Yuugi and Yami had predicted, hard, smooth rock of the ceiling deflected the fire off it towards the ground, shielding Vulpix from Blizzard inside a cylinder of fire. "Now, Vulpix--try to immobilize Kitsune with fire!" Yami said. This was a lot like using Spellbinding Circle, except that it took two moves.  
  
Vulpix deciphered this command as an order to use Fire Spin, and did so, enclosing Kitsune in flame. The Oracle decided to do the same thing that Yuugi had done, but it didn't work nearly so well for Kitsune--the ice simply froze to the ceiling in a long spike, meaning that Kitsune couldn't even jump out of the way without skewering itself. The fire, however, did eventually melt the ice--and Vulpix was drenched with water.  
  
"Kitsune, return!"  
  
"Vulpix, return!"  
  
The Oracle shifted uncomfortably. So far, he had failed to win a single match; every one had ended in a draw. "You won't win this time," he muttered. "I choose--Falric!"  
  
_Another Pokemon I've seen before! Benjamin fought this one for the fourth badge_!_ Well, there's only one choice for this._ "I choose--Kraken!"  
  
Miaka's enormous squid erupted from its Pokeball. It was deep-sea blue in color, with tawny-gold eyes. These eyes were evidently designed for both in and out of water, because as the creature blinked, and a translucent second eyelid flickered into place, protecting its eyes.  
  
The Oracle shrugged nonchalantly. "To the air, Falric."  
  
To his surprise, however, Yami smiled. "That move might have worked outside, Oracle, but here the air grants you no safety. Kraken, grab it in your tentacles!"  
  
With an eerie screech, Kraken snagged Falric out of the air and began crushing it in its tentacles. Falric struggled wildly, but was unable to escape.  
  
The Oracle, however, sneered. "You fool! Immobilization works both ways. Falric, use your Steel Feather!"  
  
By cleverly telling Falric to use its defensive move, Steel Feather, while trapped, the Oracle dealt damage to Kraken as Falric's feathers became coated in sharp-edged steel. Kraken, however, held on tight. In the end, both collapsed together, Kraken from pain, Falric from lack of oxygen.  
  
The Oracle was getting desperate now. "This one will do--go! Setric!" Yuugi was completely thrown by this one. Its coloration was identical to his former Elocue, Spark's, but it was larger, and it had arms and legs. It looked like a rounded, simplified humanoid figure, and it held a short rod with long, glowing beams of electricity sprouting from either end like a double-bladed sword. Yuugi suddenly realized--it was the evolution of Elocue.  
  
_ I owned an Elocue! I know that they're electric-type, and it might have Agility and Thundershock like Spark did...it has a speed advantage over Aero...but speed can't beat insubstantiality!_ "I choose--Phantom!"  
  
What appeared to be a large cloud of fog appeared, grew dense, and formed into a large, shadowy-looking puma. The Oracle frowned. What could Yuugi be planning to do?  
  
Rana was also uncertain. "Phantom is really powerful--if you know how to use her. The only problem is, he doesn't know anything about her! Ohh, if he gets my Phantom hurt I am gonna kill him!"  
  
"Setric, slash it!"  
  
"Dodge, Phantom!"  
  
While the two Pokemon continued to attack and dodge under the commands of the Oracle and Yami, Yuugi thought hard. _It may not be able to hit me, but I can't hurt it either! Let me think...electricity...Spark was weak against rock, but that doesn't help me...electricity...wait--water conducts electricity! The floor is still wet! And...that pipe was frozen before, but I bet that Vulpix melted the ice when it faced Kitsune! If we can just jostle the pipe...  
  
_ "Phantom, move left! Now, solidify and jump!"  
  
Phantom crashed into the pipe, knocking it loose once more. Water gushed out until Miaka realized that the whole room could flood, found a tap, and turned it off. Yuugi's plan, however, had already been carried out.  
  
The Oracle, also remembering that water conducts electricity, cackled. "Now, Setric! Put the blade of your electric saber into the water! Hahahaha!!! My Pokemon will be recharged by the electrical energy! Wait--why are you still smiling? You're going to lose!"  
  
Yami shook his head. "Wrong, Oracle. True, electricity recharges your Pokemon--but too much of a good thing is still too much. Watch and learn!"  
  
Setric was being recharged, but as Yuugi had realized, there was simply too much electricity; Setric was overloaded and collapsed.  
  
The Oracle, however, began to laugh as he returned his Pokemon. "Hahahaha!!! You think that you've won? I may have lost one Pokemon, but yours was fainted as well--the electricity stunned it before it could return to insubstantiality! And since you've wrecked this arena...might I suggest that we adjourn to the roof for the final match-up?"  
  
Yuugi went inside his mind for a minute. He stood in the dark, slightly misty hallway of the Millennium Puzzle. On one side was a plain, wooden door--the door into his Soul Room. Opposite it was an older, weathered door, in the center of which was the Millennium Symbol, a simple eye design that resembled the ancient Egyptian Eye of Horus. This was the door into Yami's Soul Room--a very dangerous place where Yami lived when he wasn't materialized. Yami leaned against the door, also thinking about the Oracle's suggestion.  
  
"It could be a trap," the spirit said suspiciously.  
  
"I know, but what choice do we have? We _did _wreck this place," Yuugi replied, frowning.  
  
Yami thought for a moment, scowling. ".....I guess you're right...there's nothing else we can do."  
  
Going back into Yuugi's body, Yami said, "Very well. We'll fight wherever you want to, Oracle!"  
  
The Oracle smiled nastily. "Very good--for me. Come; we have a battle to finish!"  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
They weren't actually on the roof; they were on top of the wider towers in the Citadel. Yuugi and his friends looked around, wondering what would happen now. They knew that Yuugi's last Pokemon was his Dratini, Aero; but what Pokemon would the Oracle choose?  
  
"Are we all here? Very good. Now then...let's begin. For my final Pokemon, I choose--Drakall!"  
  
Yami gaped at the enormous, red and black dragon that had appeared before him. "Oh no...that creature has an advantage here! I knew this was a trick!"  
  
The Oracle smiled mockingly. "Oh, feeling sorry that you accepted this as a battle arena? You must send out your final Pokemon or forfeit the match!"  
  
"I only have one more Pokemon...Aero!"  
  
"Tini!"  
  
_ This may seem hopeless, but I know that Aero can do this...I just have to believe!_  
  
"Now, Drakall--take flight!"  
  
The great dragon soared into the air. Yuugi thought hard, trying remember everything he could about his previous battles with dragons; specifically, he was trying to remember if a dragon had ever been defeated by a smaller, weaker creature.  
  
_ I have to think...I'm sure there's a way, if I could only remember what it is!  
_  
"Drakall, attack!"  
  
Yami, not stopping to think and remembering only one Pokemon move at the moment, immediately cried, "Agility!" Then his train of thought caught up with him. "Wait--that's one of Spark's moves, not Aero's!"  
  
But to his surprise, Dratini had used Agility--Drakall missed, slamming into the flagstones--hard. The sturdy construction held, as did the dragon; Yuugi, however, had just remembered...  
  
_That's it! I remember now! I have seen a dragon defeated by a weaker creature--well, almost. We fought the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon the day I meet Benjamin! We used Multiply on Kuribo, so that the Blue-Eyes Ultimate dragon couldn't destroy it! This is the same thing--and I think I have a plan.  
  
_ On the sidelines, Benjamin watched this battle intently. "There is a way...but Aero fights much better with Yuugi than with both of them. Pokemon can become very attached to their trainers..."  
  
The Oracle, meanwhile, was trying to thing of a strategy to defeat the speedy Aero. "Hmm....its true master is the child, so it will not respond as quickly here...Agility will fail. Drakall, continue your attack!"  
  
"Aero, use Agility!"  
  
Unfortunately, the Oracle was correct--Aero did not respond as quickly to anyone other than Yuugi himself. He was hit.  
  
"Aero!"  
  
_ Yami, I have a plan--but I need to do this myself. Aero will fight better with me!  
  
_ _Are you sure?_ the spirit asked, knowing that they could not afford to lose this battle.  
  
_ Yes!_ Yuugi said desperately; he knew he could do this.  
  
_ ...all right, Yuugi. Good luck_.  
  
"All right, Aero--use your Agility!"  
  
Aero perked up, recognizing Yuugi's voice. "Tini? Dratini!"  
  
The Oracle also detected a subtle magical difference in his opponent. "WHAT!? You agreed that only one of you would face me! You cheater! How dare you do this!"  
  
Yuugi smiled. "I'm not cheating, Oracle. I agreed that only one person would face you--and I haven't broken any rules. As long as two people don't fight you at the same time, it's still legal. Besides, I'm really the same person as before--just completely different."  
  
There was silence from Yuugi's friends as they tried to understand this statement. In the end, they gave up and watched the battle.  
  
"All right, Aero, keep using Agility!"  
  
The Oracle smiled craftily. "It will tire soon enough. Drakall, take to the skies, so that it wastes its energy!"  
  
Even as he said this, Yuugi said, "Now, Aero!"  
  
Aero used Ice beam just above Drakall, so that, far from dodging it, it actually flew straight into the attack. The battle was over. Yuugi and Yami had won.  
  
The Oracle looked like he was going to explode. "HOW DID YOU DO THAT!? I WON'T GIVE YOU THE KEY! I REFUSE!"  
  
_ Think I should banish him?_ Yami said, grinning.  
  
"Be my guest," Yuugi replied, for once not feeling bad for Yami's victim--er, opponent.  
  
The Oracle looked up. For the first time, there was a faint expression of fear in his eyes. "What?"  
  
Yuugi, however, was not around to answer him. "Oracle, you have tried to trick us this entire battle. We have defeated you, and now, it is time for you to leave. Go!!!"  
  
With that, he pointed his hand, palm up, at the Oracle. In a blinding flash of light, the Oracle shrieked in rage. "This is not the end!" The Champion's body collapsed as the Oracle was forced out. "We will meet again! I will make you pay! AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Then the demon was gone. There was silence as the Champion got up. Then, it suddenly it had them that they had won!!! Mike hugged Rana, twirling her around, Benjamin and Miaka high-fived, and Matt just smiled.  
  
Yuugi was explaining the situation to the Champion. When he understood what had happened, he readily agreed to give them the Key. It looked like the mirror image of the Key Yuugi's friends had recently gained in the Clanner World, and Yuugi could feel that it was very magically powerful. As they were saying their goodbyes to the Champion, three figures appeared outside, waiting for our heroes to emerge....  
  
-o-o-o-o-o-  
  
Yuugi looked at the half of a Key in his hand as they all stepped outside. "We really did it. We finally got the Key."  
  
"Yes, and now you can give it to us."  
  
They all looked up in shock. Standing in front of them were three sinister figures. The middle one was incredibly tall--more than seven feet- -and wore a long black cloak. To his left was a skeletally think man with bony arms and hands. To the right of the tall man was a short, stout man who looked almost round due to his proportions. They could see, however, that he was far from fat--his entire body was like one big muscle.  
  
Yuugi tightened his hand around the Key. "Who are you, and what do you want with the Key?"  
  
The tall man seemed to be the spokesperson for the group. "We collect unique artifacts for our master. The Key of Aramas is a unique artifact. Give it to us."  
  
"Never!"  
  
"Then we shall have to take it by force."  
  
After this, the three began to communicate in a language seemingly made up of rapid clicks and sounds that resembled echolocation or sonic bursts. Benjamin, with his more-than-human hearing, realized that they were analyzing the abilities of their group. He scowled.  
  
"They are dark travelers. Travelers are beings who can Gate between Worlds without a device. These, however, are evil, and very dangerous..."  
  
The three dark travelers' eyes snapped back onto their targets. Benjamin and Mike drew their swords, assuming the "guard" position on either side of Yuugi, who could not draw a weapon since he was holding the Key. Miaka picked up a hefty branch and held it like a staff, while Rana took out her only weapon--a slingshot.  
  
The stout dark traveler immediately went into a headlong charge at Miaka and Rana, but when he went through Rana he turned around to keep attacking her, which delayed him for some time. The tall man drew several weapons concealed beneath his cloak, while the skeleton man held up his hands. The light of his magic grew between them, sealing both Yuugi from using his magic and his Deck from activating. It also impaired Yami's abilities.  
  
Mike and Benjamin glanced at each other, than attacked together. There is no experience quite like fighting a Darkling, and fighting Benjamin is even worse. Benjamin would have made an excellent suicide fighter, simply because he attacked without regard to injury. He leapt on the tall man, screaming at him wildly, half in English and half in Darkling. Benjamin was an excellent sword fighter, but his Darkling blood gave him a tendency to get carried away.  
  
The tall man was also a skilled warrior; he pinned Mike to the ground with a pole through the leg. This really drove Benjamin wild. Even the dark traveler was stunned by his mad attack, as Benjamin slammed into him, knocked him to the ground, and began strangling him with his bare hands. The tall man raised his warclaws, preparing to thrust them inwards and skewer Benjamin.  
  
Yuugi, watching helplessly, shouted, "Benjamin!" The skeleton man screamed in pain and fell to the ground, smoking slightly as his magical block was broken. The tall man's claws bounced backwards. "It's Mirror Force! That means now I can use my Deck! Spellbinding Circle!"  
  
The stout man, who was now charging Miaka, having seriously injured Matt, stopped in his tracks. Realizing after a few moments that he could not move, he stopped and curled up to defend himself.  
  
Meanwhile, skeleton man was getting back up and reforming his magic. Yuugi struggled to resist his magical dampening field, but his Circle flickered. Then the skeleton man gasped as a knife blade penetrated his back.  
  
"You know, I really don't like you," Yami said coldly. The skeleton man, fatally injured, collapsed and was consumed by white fire.  
  
Meanwhile, Matt was demolishing the stout man and Benjamin and Mike continued to fight with the tall man.  
  
"It's no use--some force is pulling his consciousness back into his body no matter how badly injured he is!"  
  
Yuugi stood up tiredly. "We'll just have to get rid of his soul, I suppose. Can we do that?"  
  
_He's died about five times already, sure we can.  
_  
Yuugi sighed. "I really don't want to do this to you, but I have no choice."  
  
"It's over, tall man. We win--now go to the Shadow realm!"  
  
The tall man shrieked in rage before vanishing to the dark Shadow realm, where he was devoured by Duel Monsters. Thus ended the battle against the dark travelers. Clean-up (healing, wiping blood off of weapons, etc.) took a few minutes longer.  
  
As they were doing this, Matt's headset snapped on. "....what!? Guys, I have to go. The most important person in my World is in danger. Good luck--maybe we'll meet again!"  
  
Then, Miaka and Rana departed for their homes. Benjamin regretfully told Yuugi that he too must leave--his World was in danger, and he knew that they would need his help. Mike would have gone with Yuugi, but Yuugi told Mike that Benjamin would need his help to stop the Overlord from conquering Dark World.  
  
In the end, only Yuugi was left with a borrowed Gating device to bring the Key to Vice. "I guess it's just you and me again."  
  
_ In that case, let's get that Key to Vice_, Yami said, smiling.  
  
"Right!" Yuugi replied cheerfully, pulling out the Gating Device.  
  
The two original Pokemon World searchers, having finally gotten the Key, now set out on the most difficult part of their quest--to enter the Chaos fortress and make it back out alive. 


	30. High Treason

Chapter 30--High Treason

A dense, white fog concealed the flash of light as Yuugi, with the Key of Aramas, Gated in outside the Chaos fortress. Hidden beside the path, he watched as the vast, steel gates clanged open and an army, some chaotic beings, some Clanners, some other peoples from other Worlds, marched out. They Gated out, and as the fortress gates slowly began to close, Yuugi slipped in just before they shut tight. The guards on the walls had seen nothing; they were assigned to watch for approaching danger, not suicidal children who decided to enter the Overlord's main base.

They knew that no single person could attack the base and come out alive.

Inside the gates was a large entrance hall. There was only one door leading out from it; this door opened onto a corridor. Doors and stairwells were placed at intervals along it. The moment he entered this corridor, Yuugi knew that he was completely lost. He had no idea where any of these doors might lead, and no idea how to find Vice; he had ever entered the base from the front gate before. Before he actually had to make a decision, however, someone exited one of the doors. Once again, it was a Clanner, a member of Skull Clann from her tattoos. She was holding a metal stave with bladed ends. Her eyes were sad as she turned to Yuugi. "Go back, Summoner. You must not pass."

Yuugi stared at her in complete disbelief. It was like the final insult--after getting all those badges, and fighting all those Clanners, and finally getting the Key, the Clanners were still here, still trying to stop them.

_We have to fight her. There's no other way to get past her._

"There must be another way. One more death isn't going to help anyone."

The Clanner spoke again. "Summoner, you must leave this place. Go back--before it is too late." At that moment, a high, shrill whistle pierced the still atmosphere of the base. The Clanner looked around wildly. "The alarm!"

She ran out a different door, which struck Yuugi as odd--why would she be running away from her own alarm? However, he had no time to think about it. Not knowing where the doors led, Yuugi knelt and pried the grate off an air duct close to the ground. Slipping inside it, he quickly shoved the panel back in place and sat still, listening. Booted feet clattered down the hall, shouting in a strange language. Peering out of the grate, it became evident that the Chaos troops had captured an intruder. Philosophically thinking that the enemy of the enemy is a friend, Yuugi hurried through the complex ventilation system, following the troops.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Meanwhile, in another part of the base, the other four searchers had just Gated in, barely escaping the Clanners. Inside an unknown part of the Chaos fortress, they stood very, very quietly, trying to figure out where they should go next. At that moment, however, three other figures Gated in nearby. The four allies, not knowing that these were three dark travelers very similar to the ones Yuugi and his friends had fought, broke down completely.

"They must be Chaos troops--run!"

They ran off through the base, finally stopping in an alcove in the wall. Listening, they wondered if they had lost their pursuers. At that moment, however, the dark travelers had run into trouble. The Lieutenant, receiving a report from the Oracle, had bumped right into them. He immediately pulled out his Chaos blade, slashed the stout man to pieces, stabbed the skeleton man, and wiped off his sword as the Oracle crept behind the tall man, pulled out his soul, and ate it.

The Lieutenant looked coldly at the three bodies. "Take those two to the Recyclers. The tall one should be given to Research."

With that, they walked on. The four hiding heroes stared in shock and fear, silently grateful that they had not run into the Lieutenant. After a few moments, the continued on through the base.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Following the retreating guards, Yuugi eventually came to a large chamber. Unfortunately, this room sported grates in the ceiling, meaning that he was about twenty feet off the ground. The room itself appeared to be some kind of audience chamber. At one end was a wide, flat dais with encircling steps leading up to it. At the back of the dais was a large alcove shrouded in darkness. A sense of great evil emanated from it. Sitting on the steps was a girl dressed in tattered black robes adorned with strange symbols. Her long hair was a mess, and her eyes were oddly blank. Guards trooped into the hall, shoving three bound prisoners before them.

It was the three Skull Clanners who had remained after their last battle!

The girl sitting on the steps sat up, but the motion looked unnatural and slightly exaggerated. When she spoke, her voice was harsh and grating. "You are accused of high treason to your master, the Overlord. I find you guilty. Your sentence is death."

Inside the wall, Yuugi gasped. 'We have to help them!" He quietly removed the grate from the wall.

_Please don't tell me you're going to jump._

"Okay--I won't tell you."

_Not exactly what I meant..._

-o-o-o-o-o-

Meanwhile, Joey, Tristan, Tea, and Kaiba had just been spotted by the Lieutenant and were running for their lives for the second time in less than five minutes. Glancing back to see if he was gaining on them, they crashed through a door and landed on the floor of the same chamber Yuugi had just jumped from the ceiling of, which was incredibly lucky timing, since instead of breaking his neck he fell on top of them.

"Ouch..."

"Oh, hey guys! I guess you got your half of the Key too!"

"Yeah, we did. Now could you please get off of me?"

"Huh? Oh...sorry..."

The Lieutenant charged into the room after them at this point and tripped over his intended targets. Getting up quickly, he was about to kill them when a knife flew through the air and knocked his blade out of his hand. Vice dropped down from the ceiling above the door behind them.

"Ah, there you are. What took you so long?" the Darkling warrior said calmly.

There was a moment of shocked silence. Then... "VICE? But--the Key--"

"Huh? Oh, I didn't need the Key to escape. I just thought it might be useful. Good thing to have around, you know," Vice said, shrugging mildly.

"But--but--"

"Questions later. Come on--we shouldn't hang around too long..."

While Vice was fending off questions, Yuugi was cutting the captive Clanners' bonds. They rubbed their wrists to regain circulation, then drew two weapons each--luckily, the Chaos Army had not yet searched them.

Skull Clanners are known as weapons masters; they are trained from birth to be proficient in most simple weapons and several exotic ones. These particular three Clanners were, respectively, a blade fighter (long sword, short sword, dagger, rapier, broad sword, falchion, etc.), a staff/thrown weapons expert (quarter staff, throwing knife, throwing axe, shuriken, boomerang, sling, etc.), and a hafted weapon proficient (mace, battle axe, double axe, war hammer, maul, etc.).

The battle stood thus: Vice, three Clanners, and six almost-warriors versus the Lieutenant and any troops the Chaos army saw fit to call. Only Yuugi and Vice also knew the true identity of the possessed Seer sitting on the stairs.

The Chaos army is always on the lookout for Seers, especially children; children tend to survive a few days longer than adults, as their bodies, not yet finished growing, have more regenerative power. The Overlord needs his Seers to survive as long as possible, and he is constantly in need of new ones. Why the great need for Seers?

The Overlord is not a possessor-class demon. Only the magic of a Seer can allow him (or perhaps it?) to speak through another being.

Vice ran to the door and bolted it shut to stop the Lieutenant from calling any more troops; they were already outnumbered. The Lieutenant was a highly intelligent battler; he had summoned several Chaos infantry troops to help him.

These infantry troops were Chaos elementals.

An elemental is a being comprised entirely of energy. Some can be found naturally, while others can be created. The Chaos army frequently used elemental troops fashioned by the Overlord for bulk attacks; they could always make more, and organic troops were needed for battles requiring the one thing the machine-like Chaos elementals lacked: a conscious, thinking mind. In this case, the elementals' orders were simple: kill everyone but the Summoner.

The Clanners frowned. They knew that killing elementals of any type is difficult, due to their energy composition. Atsuko, the staff fighter, removed a shiny throwing-star (shuriken) from her belt. It glittered for a moment in the light. Hiroji, a blade fighter and a bereaved parent, selected a rapier with runic signs on the blood channel. The final warrior (and also Hiroji's brother), Kaneshige, drew his enormous battle axe. They were ready to sacrifice their very lives if necessary.

In another corner of the room, four highly inexperienced children from another World drew the few weapons they possessed, all of which had been given to them by Vice: a dagger, a short sword, and a pistol that resembled a ray gun from a science fiction movie. They too were ready to fight, but they were very much hoping that their lives would remain safe.

Yuugi also drew a dagger, but was absolutely not ready to fight; he was much more likely to chop off his hand by mistake than actually accomplish something. He had really been hoping it wouldn't come to a battle, but unlike his friends, he was ready to die if he had to.

Lastly, Vice unsheathed not one but two knives; he was an expert blade fighter. Knife fighters are very rare in the Multiverse because of the skill required to survive when fighting a ranged weapon like a lance or a sword, and many die at an early age. Vice, however, wasn't just any knife fighter--he was a master. Despite this, he too had been hoping that the situation would not require outright battle. He knew that if any of them were to get out alive, he would have to face the truth.

The Lieutenant drew his Chaos sword. Whether or not he wanted to battle, even he could not say; he would obey the Overlord's commands regardless. He was ready to die, if it was the will of his master.

The infantry awaited instructions from the Overlord; the Seer on the steps sat up. Blood dripped from her mouth as she spoke strange words in that same harsh voice; the Overlord's possession was draining her life-force, but he did not care what happened to his sentient tools.

Without any warning or preamble, the infantry charged, and Vice and the Clanners met their attacks with their own. The battle had begun!

Vice flipped backwards, landing on his feet with feline grace. Light flashed out of his hand, dissipating one enemy, while he back slashed another. He was surrounded, but he could cut his way through; he was a child of Dark World, and his whole life had been a battle to survive.

The Clanners were equally beset, but they too were warriors to the core. Atsuko parried blows with her staff, whipping out knives, shuriken, and her lucky boomerang at opportune moments. Nearby, Hiroji was slashing the infantry to rapidly fading clouds of energy, while his brother carved a wide path, wielding his axe. They were unconcerned for their lives, their safety, or their people any longer; their eyes held neither compassion nor fear. They were truly the Makers of the Dead.

At the other end of the room, our four would-be heroes were in grave danger. They had rapidly discovered that fighting is nothing like the movies; no heroic speeches, no last-minute rescues, and no easy victories. Having lost their weapons, they were backed into a corner. Their situation looked grim, but luckily for them, the Clanners saw their danger and fought their way toward them to protect our now very abashed heroes. Unfortunately, this gave the Lieutenant an opportunity to attack the Overlord's main target--Yuugi.

Yuugi was not a warrior; this was immediately obvious to anyone watching him try to battle. He was barely able to parry the attacks of the Chaos infantry, let alone the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant was not, in fact, trying to kill him. He was trying to either immobilize or knock him out, thereby capturing him, as the Overlord wished. In this, he nearly succeeded--he sent Yuugi's dagger flying across the room with a sweep of his sword, causing Yuugi to fall backwards, completely open to an attack. Yuugi would certainly have been captured if he had been unaided; Vice and the Clanners were all too far away to help him.

Unfortunately for the Lieutenant, however, another warrior was watching. A blade wreathed in white fire flashed past him, burying itself in the wall. While he turned to glance at it, Yami kicked him in the shins, pulled his knife out of the wall, and put it to the Lieutenant's throat. It was not a very honorable tactic, but it was certainly effective. Lieutenant Gash was unable to move. The entire battle stopped as every combatant turned to watch the standoff, knowing that the Lieutenant was doomed.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you," the spirit said, voice full of hatred.

The Lieutenant said nothing; he had ceased to fear death long ago. Suddenly, however, an unexpected voice spoke.

"Wait--don't kill him!"

Yuugi got up slowly. He hadn't been injured by his fall, luckily. Whispering so that only Yami and the Lieutenant (and possibly Vice, with his Darkling senses) could hear him, he said, "Please don't kill him."

Yami glanced back at Yuugi, frowning. Yami could see no reason to spare the Lieutenant; he was the enemy, he had hurt them before and would do it again. Killing him would weaken the Overlord's forces. Killing him would be a good thing; so why spare his life? That was why he wanted to kill the Lieutenant. Because it would be a good thing. Yes, that was why. It had nothing to do with the intense desire for revenge, the desire to hurt the Lieutenant, make him suffer as he had made them suffer, that Yami felt deep in his soul.

"Why? He would have killed you. If we let him go, he'll try to kill you again. He _deserves_ to die!"

"No, Yami. No one has the right to decide who should live and who should die. The Lieutenant's life is precious as all life is precious. And somehow, I just have the feeling that somewhere, in some way...he's needed."

Yami clenched his fist, debating internally. Finally, however, mercy (or at least loyalty to Yuugi) won out over vengeance. Yami stepped back.

The Lieutenant sheathed his own weapon. "...you win, Summoner. You and your allies have fairly defeated us. You may leave here unharmed." With that, he strode out of the room.

Vice shrugged. "Well, that's that."

Yuugi pulled half of the Key out of his pocket. "Wait--what about the Key? It can't be any good split in half, can it?"

Vice nodded. "Yes, but...I can't just put it together. We would need a powerful Joining to fix the Key of Aramas, and I don't have one--only the Clanners ever had the power to affect the Key."

Yuugi suddenly remembered something. Reaching into his pocket again, he pulled out a small, silvery disk the Skull Clanners had given him just before he faced the Champion. On it were strange characters, written in Clanner language.

Vice looked at in surprise. "Wow--a Clanner Joining! Here--give me both halves of the Key and your Joining, and I'll put it together."

Holding the three objects, Vice activated the Joining fashioned by the Clanners. It emitted a bright, white light, then crumbled to dust. The Key glowed dully for a moment, then melded together as though it had been heated in a forge.

Vice held it out. "I think you'd better hang on to this, Yuugi."

"...me? But why?" Yuugi asked innocently.

Vice smiled. "Just trust me."

Shrugging, Yuugi put the newly repaired Key back in his pocket. Turning around, he and his friends saw that the Seer had finally collapsed; there was blood everywhere, and the Overlord had evidently departed and returned to the Wilds. Atsuko shook her gently. The Seer sat up slowly, still coughing blood. She was in bad shape; if she didn't receive medical attention soon, she would certainly die.

Vice knelt beside her, holding out his hand. There was a faint, silver light, and the Seer's wounds began to close. Vice had the gift of a natural healer; he could fix almost anyone. The Seer looked tiredly at them.

Atsuko smiled at Yuugi and his friends, who were looking slightly nonplussed. "We will take the Seer; she will be safe with us. Farewell, Summoner. We have helped you even as you have aided us. Whatever you do next, the Ana-srin are with you. Go well, kara-kachi." Hiroji and Kaneshige raised their hands in farewell as all four Gated out.

Vice nodded. "So it has begun...now. You should all go home--people will think you've been abducted if you're not careful."

"But we haven' even beaten de Overlord yet! It can't be ovah...can it?" Joey asked, uncertain.

Vice sighed. "I'm afraid it isn't over, and it won't be over for a long time. But for now, you have time to rest. Take a break--you'll need it. Don't worry...there are still those who fight on in other Worlds. The War may not be over, but we've won a battle. Goodbye for now--I have a feeling we'll be meeting again soon."

They all returned home, some to rest, others to finish all of their homework over spring break in a few days. They were exhausted, but they had survived; that was the main thing.

Yuugi put the Key of Aramas in a drawer in his desk and forgot about it--he didn't think he would be able to use it anyway. The quest for the Key of Aramas was over, and he thought they would all be able to rest for a while. But would they? Far away, other eyes were watching. The battle had only just begun...

Author's note: if you thought the war was over already, guess again! Here ends the first section. Thank you to everyone who read, and especially to anyone who read the whole thing. Special thanks to:Kath, my first reader (if not my first reviewer). I can't thank you enough times...

Serafinamoon, you read the entire story so far, and you reviewed every single chapter. Thank you _so_ much.

Chace--yep, you read the whole story too, and you practically had to jump through hoops to do so. Thanks.

Matt--you are my own personal beta reader and spell checker, the creator and owner of Mike, the Sentinels, and anything Apocalypse, and when you finally put something up on I will be your number one fan.

Thanks to everyone, I couldn't have done it without you! On another note: the Lieutenant's name is pronounced with an "a" like in "father," not like the gash on your arm. Just so you know. If anyone was confused by the number of people, places, and events in section one, I think section two may be a little less confusing. Thank you for reading this far.

Subieko


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